A man tried to kill himself with a sawn-off air rifle before he went to an Oamaru supermarket and pointed the gun at several staff members, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.
Before the court was Terence Eric Webb (62), of Oamaru who faced charges of aggravated burglary, presenting a firearm to avoid arrest, unlawfully possessing a knife in public and three separate charges of presenting a firearm.
He denied the charge of armed burglary but admitted the five other charges and was remanded in custody until March 28.
Prosecutor Sergeant Ross Hutton said Webb had been drinking at his South Hill home early on Wednesday, January 22, and sawed off the barrel of his air rifle. He used the gun to shoot himself in the head twice in an attempt to kill himself. He received two puncture wounds to the right temple but did not need medical attention.
About 3.45am, he went to the New World supermarket carrying the loaded sawn-off air rifle and ammunition, a fishing knife and a hammer. Inside the supermarket, Webb remained in an agitated state and kept pointing the sawn-off gun at any of the three staff members who came too close to him.
He kept the three victims near the beer fridge and drank several beers while the staff discussed his problems in an effort to calm him and keep him distracted. The discussion lasted about 40 minutes.
Webb had the fishing knife in his back pocket and at some stage placed it on the beer fridge next to him.
A fourth staff member arrived and was able to alert the police. The other three staff members had been afraid for their safety throughout their ordeal. They were able to leave the supermarket once the police arrived, Sgt Hutton said. The officers spent about one and-a-half hours negotiating with Webb, who frequently pointed the gun at them but eventually put it down and was arrested.
His said he was desperate for alcohol and used the gun so no-one would stop him getting it.
