Tuahiwi man admits police': assault charge i

Press, 12 July 1984, Page 14

Tuahiwi man admits police': assault charge i

A man who waved a shotgun in the air, and threatened a police constable with a butcher’s knife after an argument with his mother and sister, was remanded in custody when he appeared before Judge Bradford in the District Court at Rangiora yesterday. William Geoffrey Hopkinson, aged 26, unemployed (Mr J. Woods), committed the offences yesterday before a scheduled court appearance on an unrelated matter.

Hopkinson pleaded guilty to assaulting Mark Anthony Anderson, being in possession of a firearm, namely a shotgun, except for a lawful purpose; and failing to stop his vehicle on State highway 72 when signalled to do so by a police patrol.

He also pleaded guilty to being unlawfully in possession of a pistol, namely a Browning sawn-off shotgun in Rangiora on June 21. Hopkinson was remanded

to July 25 for a probation report, a psychiatric report, and sentence. Sergeant P. Creasey said that at 11.30 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, the defendant’s vehicle was searched. Between the front seats the police had found a sawn-off shotgun measuring 63cm. There were also five cartridges. The defendant said he used the gun for pig hunting and admitted not having a licence. Sergeant Creasey said that at 9.35 a.m. yesterday the police went to the defendant’s address in Tuahiwi after receiving information. The defendant was outside his parents’ place and was waving a shotgun in the air.

He was motioning to the police to move off the property. The police stopped and reversed away. Hopkinson’s mother wrestled the shotgun from the defendant which was subsequently smashed in two. Sergeant Creasey said Hopkinson then picked up a butcher’s

knife and began fixing his car. The police arrived on foot and talked to the defendant. Hopkinson told them to stay off the property. He put the knife down and refused to go with the police saying all he wanted to do was to go to court. The police again approached the defendant and asked to speak to him and let them on the property. The defendant waved the butcher’s knife at Constable Anderson in a threatening manner. Sergeant Creasey said that the defendant told the constable that if he came any closer he would “wear it.” The defendant was obviously angry and clearly agitated.

He eventually got his car to go and drove off past the police with the knife in his possession. The police managed to manoeuvre one patrol car in front and one behind. The police attempted to stop the defendant who was travelling at

about 80km/h, but failed. • The defendant kept driving - into the police car in front ' When he stopped outside the courthouse he was ap- • prehended by the police, "■ Sergeant Creasey said that the defendant told the police he had become wild ' after an argument with his > mother and sister over tak- '« ing his father’s car to court. ; His mother would not let him so he decided to take * petrol from his father’s car for his own. There was an ' argument and he had grabbed the shotgun. The ' defendant said it was not ’ loaded and knew he should have stopped, but he was angry and wild. He became more agitated when the police arrived. The defendant told the i police that when he was ’ driving to Rangiora all he wanted to do was to get to < court.

The police asked for the • forfeiture of the shotgun and knife and for the defendant to be disqualified ' from driving. ’