Accused murderer gives evidence: Ligar Street shooting

By Evan Schuurman
Updated November 2 2012 - 4:54pm, first published July 7 2011 - 4:03am
Accused murderer gives evidence: Ligar Street shooting
Accused murderer gives evidence: Ligar Street shooting

THE man accused of shooting two men on Ligar Street early last year, one fatally, said he thought he saw the deceased holding a rifle just moments before he fired, a court has heard.Jon Lucas, 29, gave evidence in the Supreme Court in Ballarat this morning.He told the court he feared for his life when Steven Brooks, now deceased, and Gregory Bullock arrived out the front of a Ligar Street property during the early hours of January 10 last year.Lucas, who admitted carrying a .22 calibre rifle at the time, told the court Mr Brooks got out of a red utility and told him he was “(expletive) dead”, whilst carrying what Lucas said looked like a rifle.“He raised it and I pointed and fired,” Lucas said.Mr Bullock then ran at Lucas holding a hammer above his right shoulder, according to the accused, who told the court he fired another shot.“If I didn’t fire there was nothing more I could get out, I was getting smashed with a hammer,” Lucas said. Lucas said he then “ran like hell” with Mr Bullock chasing him, before Mr Bullock fell over in the gravel and returned to Mr Brooks.Lucas told the court that earlier that night Mr Brooks had agreed to pay him $250 relating to a dispute over a bobcat, before a fight ensued shortly after.Lucas said he was head butted by Mr Brooks, and threatened a number of times. Police informant Detective Senior Constable Mark Ribbink from the homicide squad finished giving evidence this morning, and Mr Bullock was also recalled to the witness stand for further cross examination by the defence.Lucas is expected to continue giving evidence this afternoon, in the trial before Justice Bernard Bongiorno.Lucas has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and attempted murder.Read The Courier tomorrow for the full story.

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