A Sydney cop pointed his gun at a colleague and threatened to shoot him inside a busy police station – as a result of he threatened to break the ending of Top Gun 2: Maverick.
Constable Dominic Gaynor appeared in Sydney Downing Centre Court on Thursday after pleading responsible to carrying a firearm in a fashion more likely to endanger the security of one other particular person.
His sufferer, Morgan Royston, advised the courtroom he was so traumatised by the incident that he had given up on his dream of working as a police officer and was now a automobile salesman.
The courtroom paperwork reveal he was working at Day St Police Station on the night of May 29 when two different cops began a dialog concerning the movie Top Gun 2: Maverick.
Probationary constable Royston, who had seen the movie the earlier night time, advised Gaynor he would break the ending for him.
“Don’t spoil the movie, c***,” Gaynor replied whereas laughing.
“I’ll shoot you.”
A 3rd officer intervened and chastised him: “Gaynor, don’t say that, I’m on the phone.”
The constable ignored her warning, took his police-issued Glock firearm out of its holster, and pointed it at his colleague.
He held the gun stationary for 5 seconds so Mr Royston may see the entrance and rear sights of the gun.
Gaynor was laughing as he brandished the gun along with his finger on the receiver as an alternative of the set off.
On Thursday, Mr Royston broke down in tears as he described the “overwhelming shock and fear” he felt when he discovered himself staring “down the barrel” of a loaded police pistol.
He mentioned being threatened by a senior officer at his workplace made him depressed, anxious, and hypervigilant.
Mr Royston advised the courtroom he has been affected by vivid nightmares of being shot and killed for the reason that incident.
The junior officer defined he was torn between reporting the incident and “the desire not to break the police brotherhood by dobbing on a colleague”.
After desirous to be a police officer for a very long time, Mr Royston mentioned he not felt protected round police.
“I’ve completely lost the trust I had and my previous admiration for the NSW Police Force,” he mentioned whereas wiping away tears.
“When I see a police officer now, I feel compelled to watch them and check their hand is not on their firearm.”
The courtroom heard Mr Royston was pressured to proceed working in the identical police station as Gaynor, who has not defined or apologised for his actions.
“It frustrates, saddens, and angers me that I have suffered so much,” the junior officer mentioned.
Gaynor’s lawyer Chris Micali mentioned his consumer was attempting to be humorous when he made a “grievous error” which may have had severe penalties.
“There was no malicious intent to scare or injure,” he mentioned.
“This is a case where skylarking and tomfoolery in an employment context has gone awry.”
Gaynor was a “fantastic member of the police force” who was “well regarded” by his friends and had “learnt his lesson”, his lawyer argued.
The courtroom heard he would probably lose his job if convicted of the crime.
Crown prosecutor Alison Graylin mentioned there was no clarification for Gaynor’s actions and no assure that “he would not suffer such a serious lapse of judgement again”.
“The community places great trust in armed police officers,” she mentioned.
“The victim was as entitled to that trust as any member of the lay community.”
Magistrate Michael Maher famous there was a “power imbalance” between Gaynor and the junior officer, who had appeared to him for steerage.
He mentioned cops have an “significant and unrelenting degree of responsibility” after they carry weapons within the execution of their obligation, which Gaynor flouted by disregarding the security of his fellow officer.
“This conduct was poor and at the very least demonstrated reckless judgement,” the Justice of the Peace mentioned.
He didn’t settle for that pointing the gun at Mr Royston was a joke and located there was little proof the constable had acknowledged the impression of his actions on the sufferer.
Magistrate Maher convicted Gaynor and sentenced him to a two-year group corrections order along with finishing 100 hours of group service.
Gaynor stored his head down and didn’t remark as he fled the courthouse after studying his destiny.
A NSW Police spokesperson confirmed Gaynor remained suspended with pay.
Source: www.news.com.au
