'Bonnie and Clyde' man pleads guilty

A man pleaded guilty to four charges of using a firearm against a police officer when he appeared at a depositions hearing in Oamaru District Court today.

But Chris Shaw denies two similar charges.

The third and final day of depositions in what has been called the "Bonnie and Clyde" case was heard in Oamaru today, with the last police witness giving his version of events.

Palmerston North couple Shaw, 25, and Stacey Snelleksz, 20, first hit the headlines in February when an alleged crime spree ended in a police chase from Oamaru to Palmerston.

During today's hearing Shaw decided to plead guilty to using a firearm against Constable Stefan Witehira, the police officer Shaw allegedly attempted to shoot on the roadside near Palmerston, as the couple swerved to avoid police road spikes on Monday, February 2.

Justices of the Peace Bill Saxton and Anne Hore remanded the couple to appear in the High Court at Timaru on September 25.

Shaw has now pleaded guilty to four counts of using a firearm against an officer. Although he has been charged with six, he has maintained his not guilty plea to using a firearm against Constables Darrin Low and Paul Alden.

The officers Shaw has pleaded guilty to using a firearm against are Constable Witehira, Constable Ryan Mitchell, Sergeant Wayne Brew and Sergeant Peter Scott.

Shaw and Snelleksz also stand jointly charged with cruelty to a child and Snelleksz has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving.

Yesterday Constable Stephen Wills, a member of the Timaru armed offenders squad, told the court he was in the AOS helicopter at which Shaw allegedly took aim, near the end of the pursuit through the fields off Horse Range Road, near Palmerston.

"We landed the helicopter and called on the suspects to surrender. The female came out first with the two kids and then the male was apprehended."

Mr Wills said Shaw was in quite a state when he was finally captured.

"He was upset, crying and apprehensive," Mr Wills said.

When asked by Shaw's lawyer, Bernadette Farnan, if he had handed his notes to his superior officer, Mr Wills said he would have, but the notebook was in his pocket and was destroyed while in the Rangitata River on another job.

East Otago High School principal Rick Geerlofs, whose school on Horse Range Road was sent into lockdown mode during the ordeal, said outside court he was glad the alleged offenders were a step closer to being sentenced.

"We had to keep everyone inside for about an hour-and-a-half (during the February emergency). We rounded up all the bus drivers and parents waiting to pick up their kids after school and brought them inside for their own safety," he said.

Everyone had to stay for about half an hour after the last classes had finished until the all-clear was given.

"I remember it having quite an impact on the kids and the wider community at the time," Mr Geerlofs said.

"It's not exactly something you practise for like a fire drill.

"It was quite difficult because people in the community knew something was going down, but we couldn't contact any of the parents, because we were instructed to keep the phone line open so the police could contact us at any time."

Mr Geerlofs said there was a lot of confusion at the time, so the school took measures to ensure everyone was briefed on exactly what happened that day.

"We brought Victim Support in to address the assembly and Constable Witehira was kind enough to come in and talk to the students," he said.

- NZPA