Revolver man denies shooting at car

A man who fired a shot from a revolver near the Litchfield Tavern said yesterday he did so after being attacked by a young man with an iron bar.

Bryan John Salter told Darwin Magistrate’s Court he was not drunk and the hole found in the door of a utility was the wrong size for a bullet from his .22 revolver.

He said he fired at the fenceline to frighten the person who attacked him. The shot hit nothing but the ground.

Salter, 56, of Darwin River, was giving sworn evidence at a hearing where he pleaded guilty to doing a dangerous act on March 24 by firing towards an occupied vehicle. He has pleaded not guilty to being under the influence of alcohol at the time. Salter pleaded guilty to having an unlicensed .22 revolver.

Magistrate Jenny Blokland said she would bring down her decision today.

Salter said he had about four schooners of beer at the tavern before he was told someone wanted to see him outside. A man with dyed blond hair, who he had never seen, demanded money. He believed the demand had to do with a drug plantation that was ripped off some time before.

“I said, ‘We don’t owe you anything’ and turned to walk to my car,” Salter said. “I got belted several times with an iron by the blond guy.”

Salter said the man broke the window of his Mercedes car with the bar, which he threw into some bushes and ran, jumping into the utility which took of.

“I waved the gun so they could see it if they were looking,” Salter said.

“Then I decided to make a flash and make some dust come up by the fence, so I fired – one shot. I felt a bit like an idiot – realized I had made a very bad mistake,” he said.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Wed, 18 May 2005
Source: Northern Territory News (Australia)
Copyright: 2005 Northern Territory News
Contact: ntnmail@ntn.newsltd.com.au
Website: http://ntnews.news.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/283