‘I’ve got a gun’: Hobart driver admits guilt over high-speed police chase, weapons threat

A Hobart motorist who led police on a cross-city car chase before falsely indicating he was armed with a gun has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and aggravated assault in the Supreme Court.

Craig Steven Cleaver, 28, appeared before Chief Justice Chris Shanahan

A Hobart motorist who led police on a cross-city car chase before falsely indicating he was armed with a gun has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and aggravated assault in the Supreme Court.

Craig Steven Cleaver, 28, appeared before Chief Justice Chris Shanahan on Thursday to answer charges relating to his actions on 29 August, 2023, which began when he refueled his Volkswagen Golf at a Moonah service station and drove off without paying.

When police spotted the Cleaver on foot in Risdon Vale later the same morning, the defendant ran to his car, reversed at speed, and drove away.

With police in pursuit under lights and sirens, Cleaver drove in the opposite lane, travelled the wrong way through a roundabout, and sped past road workers at 100km/h in a 40km/h zone.

Although officers called off the chase, the defendant was later spotted running a red light on the Brooker Hwy, travelling at 130km/h, and using the left-hand shoulder lane to overtake other motorists.

The court heard that Cleaver eventually lost control of his car in a residential Claremont street, where he alighted his vehicle and ran inside a nearby residence.

Ignoring police orders to unlock the home’s front door, the defendant began yelling at officers through the kitchen window, telling them he was armed.

“I’ve got a gun and I will shoot you,” prosecutors said Cleaver told police, while reaching onto the waistband of his pants.

After eventually gaining access to the house, officers found the defendant hiding inside a wardrobe in a child’s bedroom, where he was pepper-sprayed and arrested.

Defence counsel Kim Baumeler asked Chief Justice Shanahan to order a community corrections report that covered all sentencing options, including home detention.

His Honour adjourned the case until 28 April for sentencing submissions.