Man guilty on police assault
A MAN has been found guilty on a string of charges in Tweed Heads Local Court on Wednesday after a violent struggle in Chinderah last year when he tried to avoid arrest by threatening police with scissors and a knife.
Mark Anthony Gillon, 37, had pleaded not guilty and disputed most of the prosecution's evidence.
The court heard Tweed police officers Senior Constable Glenn Telfer and Sergeant Rod Morris had arrived at a Wommin Bay Rd address in Chinderah to serve Gillon with arrest warrants on June 23, 2011.
They said Gillon had been hiding from police before a lengthy struggle began in the cluttered garage on the property.
They both said Gillon struggled to avoid arrest, continued to fight both officers despite being sprayed with capsicum spray and at different times grabbed scissors and a knife that were lying around the room, flailing his arms in the direction of both officers, before he was eventually handcuffed.
However the defence lawyer for Gillon tells a different story.
During his cross-examination he put to both officers that although Gillon resisted apprehension, police were able to get him under control within a few minutes, that he never used scissors or a knife, and that he was handcuffed before he was sprayed in the face with capsicum spray.
Magistrate Michael Dakin wasn't convinced that Gillon understood the severity of his actions.
He said Gillon had attempted to downplay his violent actions and convicted him based on strong prosecution evidence.
"Both police officers are largely consistent in their evidence and are highly experienced officers," Magistrate Dakin said.
"He (Gillon) leaves me with the impression that he is only too willing to understate the extent of the violence and his involvement.
"It is an inescapable conclusion... the evidence is proved."
Magistrate Dakin adjourned sentencing until May 28.
