Darwin fisho threatened boaties with knife, attacked police: court

A crazed fisho threatened two men with a knife after they ran over his line before a ‘life and death struggle’ with police, a court has heard.

A crazed Darwin fisho who chased two boaties with a knife after they ran over his line at Buffalo Creek in Darwin’s north last year has been sent to jail.

A CRAZED Darwin fisho who chased two boaties with a knife after they ran over his line before attacking the police who tried to arrest him has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The Supreme Court heard Glen Rigby, 37, was fishing near the Buffalo Creek boat ramp in March last year when the other two men launched their boat over his line, causing it to get tangled in the propeller.

Chief Justice Michael Grant said an argument ensued and Rigby started hitting one of the men with his rod before chasing the pair around the carpark with a foot-long knife and a shovel.

“You ran towards them shouting words to the effect that you were going to stab them, that you were going to cut them and that you were going to kill them and bury them with the shovel,” he said.

Police arrived a short time later but Rigby abused them and sped off in his car before they could stop him.

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Two days later, officers found Rigby camping in bushland off Dick Ward Dr and told him he was under arrest.

But instead of coming quietly, Rigby threw a glass bottle at one of the cops and was tasered more than four times in the “prolonged, intense and extremely violent” struggle that followed.

“You managed to pin one of the officers to the ground, grabbed him around the neck and head and punched him in the head,” he said.

“You then started running away again, you ran about 15 metres and pushed over one of the police motorcycles, police again struck you with the taser with little effect.”

Chief Justice Grant said Rigby also managed to grab a can of capsicum spray and a taser from one of the officers but he managed to wrestle them back.

“Even when the handcuffs were on you continued to resist violently and continued to kick the police officers and try to strike them with your arms,” he said.

“You then calmed down for a short time but then again tried to escape — in the process you attempted to bite one of the officers on the hand with such force that you ripped the finger portion of his glove.”

Rigby was eventually subdued after backup arrived and one of the officers later underwent surgery for a broken hand.

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In their victim impact statements the first policeman said he believed he was in “in a fight for his life” during the fracas which he was “lucky to have survived” and the other said he feared for his life.

“(The first officer) wondered whether he wanted to continue as a police officer and put his life on the line to protect the community from people like you,” Chief Justice Grant said.

“(The second officer) carries great anger about your obvious disregard for the law and your consideration that you had the right to attack two police officers acting in the course of their duty.

“I have no doubt that for the police officers involved it was a traumatic life and death struggle in a relatively remote locality cut off from immediate backup.”

Rigby will be eligible for parole after serving a year and nine months.