Tennant Creek man jailed over frenzied knife attack, assaulting police officers

A MAN who threatened a group of people with two 30 centimetre butcher knives and attacked two police officers has been sentenced in court.

A MAN who threatened to stab a group of people in an alcohol-fuelled knife frenzy and kicked two police officers during an arrest has been jailed.

Tennant Creek man Jake Roper pleaded guilty in Alice Springs Local Court to a string of offences stretching over a period of time from October 2020 to March 2021, including aggravated assault, damaging property, going armed in public, assaulting police, resisting arrest and disorderly behaviour in a police station, as well as breaching bail on numerous occasions.

The court heard on October 13 2020 Roper had been drinking before he attended a Tennant Creek home and started arguing with another man.

After being chased from the street by the man and others, Roper returned with two 30 centimetre butcher knives and came back and began to threaten to stab the man.

“You began running towards (the man) brandishing those knives, who had to jump over a nearby fence. You approached a vehicle and jumped onto the bonnet, with the knives in each hand, yelling out, ‘I’ll stab you’,” Judge John Birch said.

“(The car’s occupant) had to wind up the driver’s side window and locked the car fearing he was about to be stabbed with those knives. You tried to unlock the car door.

“You walk back into the middle of the road again waving the knives and swinging back and forth towards (some other people).”

MORE NEWS

Central Australian businesses not in lockdown losing out with NT-wide Keno outage

Police hunt for man injured in Central Desert motorbike accident

CHO lists new hot spots in Queensland, Western Australia

Judge Birch said on March 13 Roper was found to have breached his electronic bail conditions, where police attended the Tennant Creek address and engaged in a foot pursuit.

“You were directed to lie on your stomach and place your hands behind your back … using your momentum you tried to turn over and began to thrash out in an effort to assault the police officer.

“You turned to (one officer) with force and kicked him in the abdomen, causing him to become unsteady on his feet, losing this breath and causing him some pain.

“You were restabilised by the police and put in the rear of that police car. As you were being secured and kicked out of striking (a second officer), leaving a footprint on his back.”

Judge Birch said he accepted Roper had made efforts to “stay out of trouble”.

“Two assaults on police is considered serious by the courts in the community, and that sort of trouble is not out of character for you. You have been dealt with assaulting police some nine times in the past.”

He was sentenced to 16 months prison. 

Follow @jasmineaburke