Psychiatric assessment sought for ‘out of control’ offender who spat blood into officer’s eyes, mouth

An “out of control” offender has pleaded guilty to dozens of charges, many of which involve violence against police and prison officers. READ HIS RAP SHEET >>

VIOLENT and “out of control” offender Barry Ray Allen spat blood into the eyes, mouth and nose of a prison officer, threatened to shoot an off-duty police officer and brushed another officer with a car.

Magistrate Sharon Cure heard details of a long list of charges the 27-year-old from Northern Tasmania has pleaded guilty to in Launceston Magistrates Court on Monday.

Charges included common assault, aggravated assault, resisting police, assaulting police, drug possession, stealing, burglary, evading police, unlicensed driving and several others.

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Police attended Allen’s West Launceston Address on February 19 this year after he committed a string of thefts.

The court heard he “resisted heavily” as officers attempted to arrest him and then began “smashing his head on the floor”.

One of the officer’s put his hand between Allen’s head and the floor to prevent him hurting himself, but Mr Allen bit the officer through slash-proof gloves and drew blood.

In the Launceston Remand Centre two days later Mr Allen stripped the cover off his mattress and wrapped himself in it.

Two prison officers entered the room and told him to remove himself from the cover.

He told them to “f*** off”.

Blood was running down his face and into his mouth from a cut above his eye.

He spat the blood into the eyes, nose and mouth of one of the officers at least three times and smeared blood on his forearms.

The blood covered officer underwent mandatory blood tests and has not returned to work despite negative results for infection.

On February 4 this year Allen shoplifted from Canoe and Surf in Devonport.

Police spotted him refuelling at a petrol station a short time later and pulled in to arrest him.

He got back into the car and turned the wheel towards an officer who was pointing his gun at him before speeding off.

The car brushed the officer’s leg as he took evasive action.

The court heard that in December last year, Allen slapped a woman five times, shoved her up against a wall and punched a hole in the wall because she “said something to him about not helping with food preparation”.

Throughout last year and this year he stole thousands of dollars worth of goods from stores across Launceston and Devonport.

On June 9, last year he filled a trolley with $2544 of groceries at Woolworths supermarket at Legana before leaving through an emergency exit.

He activated an alarm and a staff member followed him out the door.

An accomplice was waiting outside and “struck” the staff member.

The men ran away, leaving the trolley behind.

Allen was challenged by an off-duty police officer as he ran through a property on the West Tamar Hwy.

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The court heard he told the officer not to come any closer and pointed his cloth covered hand at the officer saying; “I’ll shoot and that will be the end of it”.

Magistrate Cure said Allen was “out of control and erratic” and his behaviour suggested “a significant mental health issue that needs to be addressed”.

She ordered a psychiatric review.

A previous report prepared for community corrections found Allen likely had a “long standing mood disorder”, which was likely bipolar disorder caused by chronic substance abuse and a troubled childhood.

Allen’s mother told the court it had been upsetting to see her son in prison with “bad mental health” and poor vision, denied his antipsychotic medication and prescription glasses.

“Every time he is released, he is not released with any support,” she said.

Allen will appear in Launceston Magistrates Court next on July 7 before he is sentenced.