‘He was trying to kill me’ claims man who drove away from officer with his gun drawn

The man facing dozens of charges told the court part of the reason he fled from police as they attempted to arrest him was because an officer drew his gun and was trying to kill.

DEFENDANT Barry Ray Allen told the court a police officer was trying to kill him when he brushed the officer’s leg with his car as he evaded arrest.

The 37-year-old Northern Tasmanian man yesterday pleaded guilty to a long list of charges in the Launceston Magistrates Court.

Among the charges were aggravated evade, aggravated assault, common assault, assaulting police, resisting police, stealing, burglary, drug possession, computer related fraud, reckless driving, drug.

The court heard Mr Allen evaded police in Devonport in February and “brushed” a police officer with the car he was driving as he pulled out of a petrol station.

Magistrate Sharon Cure asked defence lawyer Fran McCracken if that was the most serious of the dozens of charges against Mr Allen listed for sentence yesterday.

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Ms McCracken suggested the incident sounded worse than it was and invited Magistrate Cure to view the CCTV footage in relation to the incident.

She conceded that Mr Allen was trying to avoid being arrested, but said he drove off as the police officer “pulled his firearm” on Allen, who was unarmed.

“He pulled his car out and brushed the trouser leg of the police officer and he was leaving,” she said.

“He was trying to kill me,” Mr Allen called out from the dock.

Magistrate Cure said the other charges included a “series of shop thefts, some burglaries and trespasses”.

The court heard a burglary charge related to Mr Allen stealing a lawnmower and cash register from a church.

Mr Allen also pleaded guilty to spitting into the face of a police officer.

Allen was remanded in custody to appear in court on June 15 when it is expected counsel will make sentencing submissions.