Nine-hour siege: Women, children caught up in Ipswich man’s armed meltdown

An Ipswich man has faced court after an alcohol-fuelled threat with a compound bow turned into a nine-hour siege in a Gailes home with two women and children inside.

A court has heard how a Gailes man’s grief led to him threatening police with a compound bow and power tools during a nine-hour siege.

Wade Aaron Saunders, 46, pleaded guilty last week (September 1) to one count of wilful damage, one count of threatening violence at night, and one count of assaulting a police officer.

The court heard that on December 27 last year, police were called to Saunders’ house after a member of the public saw him standing in his backyard, pointing a compound bow at another home while yelling and visibly drunk.

Saunders immediately shut his front door when he saw police, but opened it when asked to do so. He then pointed what appeared to be a power tool at an officer.

Saunders caused the tool to make a noise and shine light on the officer, who drew his firearm in response.

The officer asked Saunders to put down the tooll but Saunders ignored him and shut the door again.

Police later negotiated for two women and children to safely exit the house.

The court heard there were no allegations of any illegal conduct towards them while they were inside the house.

Police repeatedly asked Saunders to leave the house and put down any weapons but he refused and they had to call for more back-up.

At least 13 officers became involved in what turned into a nine-hour-long siege, during which Saunders broke multiple windows, caused significant damage to furniture using power tools and punched a police drone.

The court heard Saunders pointed a loaded compound bow at officers on multiple occasions, threw a knife out a window, yelled that he wanted to kill police and begged for them to “come on in and shoot him”.

Saunders finally walked outside about 2am, armed with an electric saw and makeshift spear made out of a white pole with a knife attached at both ends.

He continued to yell at police before realising he had locked himself out of the house and attempting to saw his way back inside.

Eventually Saunders complied with police and was taken to hospital to treat cuts he sustained to his hands and arms while damaging the house.

He made partial admissions to police, but said he didn’t remember threatening anyone and apologised.

He told them “it was a blur” and that he had been struggling mentally after his daughter died two years earlier.

During sentence proceedings, the court heard Saunders had an extensive criminal history – mostly drug and alcohol-related offending, but also multiple robberies with actual violence and assaults occasioning bodily harm since the early 2000s.

Saunders was put on nine months’ probation in April last uear for six counts of supplying a dangerous drug, which he breached during his most recent offending.

Defence barrister Scott Neaves said Saunders’ mental health played a significant role in the offending.

“He had really mixed a concoction of his own medication and alcohol and that, together with his grief, gradually spiralled in this offence,” Mr Neaves said.

He said Saunders had had the opportunity while in custody to get off alcohol and attend counselling and hoped to support his two children and resume work as a demolitionist upon release.

Judge Alexander Horneman-Wren said he accepted that it was the anniversary of a personal tragedy and there might have been an “element of self-destruction involved”, but that was no excuse.

“If this is what the grog makes you do, then you’ve got to make sure you stay away from the grog,” he said.

Saunders was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ jail, with immediate parole release after 247 days of presentence custody was declared as time served.