A 40-year police force veteran is unlikely to forget his retirement day in a hurry with a man accused of driving his ute at officers and ramming the local station.
Donny Hobbs, 67, allegedly aimed his vehicle at officers, fled when they tried to stop him and ploughed through the front door of Mudgee Police Station, in NSW’s central west, after a pursuit on Friday afternoon.
A bail court heard Hobbs held animosity towards Detective Senior Constable Scott Whale and had attended the station earlier that day before a publicised retirement ceremony.
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Police prosecutor Simon Steward alleged in court Hobbs was asked to leave, to which he replied: “I’ll be back when I drive through the place.”
He is then accused of driving at officers and fleeing when they tried to arrest him in the town’s CBD, before crashing through the station’s door.
No one was injured in either incident.
Police said the car made contact with the front door, narrowly missing a member of the public inside the station.
The court heard Hobbs was accused of targeting Det Sen Const Whale, who was not one of the officers driven at and was not involved in the arrest.
“This wasn’t some sort of impulsive act. It was planned offending,” Steward said.
“He’s expressed his intention to harm a police officer, he’s expressed his intention to drive through the police station (which) is a serious escalation in his criminal behaviour.”
Hobbs was charged with damaging property with intent to endanger life, two counts of using an offensive weapon, not stopping in a police pursuit, reckless driving and having a knife in a public place.
At a bail application, his lawyer Olivia Doyle argued police would struggle to prove he intended to endanger life, although she conceded evidence suggested an “overwhelming” prosecution case.
Hobbs was denied bail and will be back in court on June 10.
Superintendent Tim Chinn, who commands the local police district, admitted the incident caused significant concerns and stress for officers who were meant to be celebrating Det Sen Const Whale.
“They were celebrating last night, so he’s OK. It was a good day, and obviously one he won’t be forgetting, but he’s in good spirits,” he said on Saturday morning.
“He is a very tenacious, dedicated, thorough police officer who’s done an exceptional job.”
Supt Chinn said there were usually about 10 or 20 officers at the station but there were approximately 50 on Friday due to the retirement ceremony.
He would not confirm suggestions Hobbs was a sovereign citizen.
Before the alleged incident, Det Sen Const Whale reflected on his four decades of service.
“When I started, we were using typewriters… It was all very different,” he told radio 2MG Mudgee.
“When you talk about highlights for a police officer, it’s generally we’re going to see someone on their worst day and we can make it a little bit better, or I can put together a brief that prosecutes someone that has done them wrong.”
