Forensic expert disputes claims Vlado Micetic opened knife before being shot by policeman Tim Baker

A SOUND expert has disputed claims criminal Vlado Micetic opened a flick knife on cop Timothy Baker before being shot dead when he was pulled over in Balaclava.

Policeman Timothy Howard Baker leaves the Melbourne Supreme Court with his mother. Picture David Crosling AAP

A SOUND expert has claimed criminal Vlado Micetic almost certainly did not pull a flick knife on cop Timothy Baker before he shot him dead.

Mr Baker, 46, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Micetic, 44, after pulling him over in Balaclava on August 25, 2013.

During his opening address, Mr Baker’s barrister Ian Hill, QC told the Supreme Court jury an independent audio expert had identified the sound of a flick knife being deployed 2.2 seconds before Mr Baker fired his first shot.

But Victoria Police senior forensic officer Paul Tierney yesterday (Monday) told the jury he believed the sound wasn’t made by a knife.

“I do not believe that to be the knife,” he said.

The court heard Mr Tierney had carried out extensive recreations of knives opening to compare with audio captured on the fateful night.

Audio of the incident was captured by a recording device worn by Mr Baker, with video from a dash cam in his car capturing the lead-up to the shooting.

Mr Baker, who was a Leading Sen-Constable with 24 years on the job at the time, claims he shot Mr Micetic after he pulled a flick knife on him while attempting to arrest him for driving with stolen numberplates.

Mr Tierney earlier told the jury he had identified the sound of a flick knife opening 14 and a half seconds after Mr Baker fired his first shot.

While he admitted the sound could have “theoretically” been made by something other than a flick knife, it was unlikely.

“It’s such a unique waveform that we see each time it’s deployed. For that to occur, for there to be that combination of other sounds is highly unlikely,” he said.

He said 25 sounds from the recording were of significance, including two sounds before the gunshots.

However, he claimed the sound identified by Mr Baker’s defence as a possible flick knife opening before he fired the fateful shots sounded nothing like it.

“(It) was not one that I detected as being a likely candidate for being the knife. It wasn’t anything that resembled any of those test deployments or retractions or anything,” he said.

The trial before Justice Christopher Beale continues.

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