Police involved in a siege incident at Wollongong Hospital last week, in which a mentally ill man threatened to set himself on fire, repeatedly put themselves in harm’s way while trying to end the situation peacefully, a court has heard.
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Prosecutors will allege Constable Justin Kelly and Senior Constables Mark Routledge and Darren Stinton were assaulted, almost stabbed and nearly run over during an hour-long standoff as they tried to negotiate Sean Hollis’ surrender outside the hospital’s emergency department on the evening of March 18.
Hollis, a 43-year-old Nowra man with paranoid schizophrenia, had just been involved in a dangerous, high-speed chase with police between Albion Park Rail and Wollongong when he pulled into the hospital carpark around 8.30pm and stalled his vehicle outside the emergency ward.
Pursuing officers jumped out of their vehicle and ran towards Hollis’ Ford Falcon, smashing the driver’s side window and attempting to remove his keys.
Hollis allegedly picked up a 15cm knife in one hand and violently swung it at police while using the other hand to douse himself and the inside of the car in petrol he had stored in a jerry can.
Hollis then picked up a cigarette lighter and threatened to set himself and the car on fire.
During subsequent negotiations, Hollis allegedly repeatedly threatened to kill police and rammed his vehicle into three patrol cars, all the while brandishing the knife and lighter in his hands.
Officers used their vehicles to box the Falcon in, prompting Hollis to exit his car and begin to advance on police, who opened fire on him with bean bag rounds.
Hollis retreated back into the car as officers released Police Dog Marley, who jumped inside the vehicle.
Court documents said Hollis repeatedly kicked the dog and tried to stab him in the neck before turning the knife on police who came to Marley’s rescue.
Hollis was eventually subdued before being admitted to the hospital under heavy sedation. He was placed in an induced coma for his own protection.
Facing court in person for the first time on Thursday, Hollis applied for bail through his lawyer, Melea Mullard, saying his mental health issues could better be addressed if he treated by his own psychologist in the community rather than being locked up.
However, Magistrate Robert Walker refused the application.
“It appears he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time...but the fact are very disturbing,” he said.
“It would be too much of a risk to let him out into the community.”
The case will return to court on May 16.
- This story first appeared on the Illawarra Mercury.
