Matthew Millard has jail sentence slashed over shooting threat towards police

A man who made a shooting gesture at a police witness and said “pew-pew-pew” in court, after being arrested for setting his vicious pit bull on another cop has had his sentence slashed.

Matthew Millard, who set his pit bull on a policewoman, and made a shooting gesture towards another, has had his jail sentenced slashed on appeal. Picture: Facebook/Supplied

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A “coward” criminal who set his pit bull on a police officer and made a shooting threat while in court has had his jail term slashed on appeal.

Matthew John Millard, 37, was in a packed courtroom in July 2018 when he made a gun shape with his hand, pointed towards a police witness and said: “c**t, yeah you, I’m killing you, you mole, pew-pew-pew”.

Millard had been arrested for setting his ferocious pit bull, Buddy, on a female police officer, who was injured so badly she needed more than 80 stitches to close her wounds. The police officer was investigating Millard’s theft of a disabled woman’s mobility scooter.

Matthew John Millard has spent most of his adult life in jail.

He later pleaded guilty to threatening a witness, and was sentenced to a further 16 months jail on top of the four-year-and-nine-month jail sentence he was handed for setting his dog on the police officer and stealing the scooter.

Millard’s lawyer, Jane Campbell, told the ACT Supreme Court on Monday that police were less likely to be distressed by a death threat than a civilian witness.

“He was in a packed court with a large contingent of police and the media interests,” Ms Campbell said.

“His ability to follow through on the threat was non-existent.”

She said his threat wasn’t out of any “significant desire for revenge” on the officer.

Millard has a history of making false allegations against police and has been described as having no remorse for having his dog inflict horrific injuries on the officer who was investigating him over the stolen mobility scooter.

The Alexander Maconochie Centre, Canberra’s jail.

Justice Elkaim allowed Millard’s appeal, saying the magistrate who sentenced Millard for the shooting threat should have allowed him to serve his sentences partially at the same time.

Justice Elkaim took eight months off the top of Millard’s sentence, bringing it down to five years and five months.

Millard will be eligible for parole in March 2022.