Woman threatened police with Taser, court told

A woman threatened police with a taser, Whangarei District Court has heard.

A woman armed with a Taser said she would shoot two injured police officers and a businessman who had gone to assist them, a jury has heard.

Dargaville businessman John Miller gave evidence in the Whangarei District Court yesterday as a Crown witness against Joshua Mohetaue, 30, who is facing one charge of aggravated assault and another of injuring with intent to injure.

He is alleged to have assaulted Constable Graham Gallaghan before repeatedly kicking him in the head them jumping on his head.

Mohetaue has denied assaulting the police officer on Tirirau Rd, Dargaville, on Christmas Day in 2013.

Mr Gallaghan and Constable Ewen Cumming were assaulted after the latter went to attend reports of two men yelling obscenities, knocking over letter boxes, punching metal poles and concrete walls.

Mr Miller was at the Brethren Church in Dargaville about 8pm on December 25, 2013 when he saw two young men being abusive towards churchgoers.

Mr Miller said he drove his ute to Tirirau Rd where he met a fellow church member who had earlier jumped in a police car with Mr Cumming to help identify men who were knocking over letter boxes.

He said the churchgoer was worried about Mr Cumming who had gone to the back of a house from where a lot of noise was coming.

Mr Miller later saw Mr Gallaghan seemingly trying to fire a Taser but it was knocked out of his hand.

A man with spiky hair was one of two people who kicked and punched Mr Gallaghan before he laid on his back motionless, Mr Miller said.

Constable Cumming arrived to assist his colleague when a woman approached them with a Taser and said she was going to shoot at them, he said.

Mr Miller said he was shocked and distressed at the violence against the officers.