Andrew Paul Offe is representing himself in his ACT Supreme Court trial. Photo: Albert McKnight.
A truck driver accused of driving at police officers and forcing them back outside Parliament House wasn’t driving up the road like popular fictional character “Mad Max”, jurors have heard.
Andrew Paul Offe’s jury trial, in which he pleaded not guilty to two counts of driving a motor vehicle near or at a police officer, began in the ACT Supreme Court last month before closing submissions took place on Friday (5 September).
Jurors heard that thousands of protesters gathered near Parliament House on 12 February, 2022, for the Convoy to Canberra, leading to road closures and police being stationed along the protesters’ route.
Mr Offe allegedly slowly drove his truck among pedestrians past a sign, near the ramp from Commonwealth Avenue to Parliament Drive, near the front of Parliament House, that said the road was closed.
Police stopped him and told him he had to turn right at the end of the intersection.
But he allegedly turned left and drove towards two officers, forcing them back along the road, until other officers smashed the truck’s window, used capsicum spray on him and arrested him.
Mr Offe represented himself in his trial, and on Friday he said witnesses reported he drove his truck slowly and carefully at walking pace and the incident only escalated when police smashed his window.
“I believed I was being escorted and following direction,” he said.
“The only verdict consistent with the evidence and the law is not guilty.”
Justice David Mossop then gave his summary of the evidence in the trial. For instance, he said another protester told Mr Offe he hadn’t been driving aggressively.
“You weren’t being Mad Max coming up the road there,” the protester said.
The first police officer Mr Offe was alleged to have driven towards said most protesters were peaceful but the scene was “a little bit tense”.
He said he spoke to Mr Offe and told him he had to turn right and was not allowed to turn left, but when the truckie allegedly slowly turned left, he banged on the truck’s door and told him, “What are you doing?”
The officer also said a YouTube content creator named Aussie Cossack was “hanging off the side of the truck, encouraging things”.
“I made it very clear to you to turn right at the top of the ramp,” he told Mr Offe in cross-examination.
The second officer Mr Offe allegedly drove at said having a massive vehicle among the women, children and elderly was highly dangerous, which was why he had been trying to make the truck stop.
“You drove at me and you failed to stop when you hit me,” he alleged when he was cross-examined.
Justice Mossop said Mr Offe testified himself, saying he was born in South Australia and bought the truck as he thought he could use it to set up a business for chauffeuring or children’s birthday parties.
“Why would I risk my whole business, my truck, everything over something like this? It doesn’t make sense,” he said when asked whether he deliberately drove at a police officer.
Mr Offe said when Aussie Cossack jumped on his truck, he got separated from the other trucks at the protest and became confused.
He said Aussie Cossack told him he was running for Parliament and at the time he didn’t know the YouTuber was a content creator who liked to create “drama”.
Jurors will begin deliberating on Monday (8 August).
Saw the first season, was OK, but not watching the second. I ditched Netflix. Too expensive for the… View