02:35 EDT, 27 April 2021
A man accused of dousing himself and a house in petrol in an alleged domestic violence incident was tackled to the ground by quick-thinking cops before he could act, police say.
He was holding a cigarette lighter and threatening to create an inferno before the brave officers jumped into action on Sunday night at the Gold Coast home, Superintendent Geoff Sheldon explained.
During a press conference on anti-hooning activities, Supt. Sheldon revealed the acts of bravery by officers who attended the alleged domestic violence incident at O Reilly Drive, Coomera around 9.30pm on Anzac Day. He doused himself and the house in petrol while his partner and two adult children of that partnership, and one of their girlfriends, were inside the house, said Sheldon.
His partner was present but not physically injured in the incident.
There are calls for urgently reform Australia s domestic violence laws following the shocking case of Hannah Clarke and her three young children who were burned to death by her estranged husband Rowan Baxter.
Earlier this month, the burned body of Kelly Wilkinson, 27, was discovered in the backyard of her home in Arundel on the Gold Coast.
Hannah Clarke (pictured, right, with her grandmother, left) and children Trey, Laianah and Aaliyah were doused in petrol and set alight by her estranged husband in February 2020
Her estranged husband and former US marine Brian Johnston, 35, was found two blocks away in a semi-conscious state with burn injuries of his own and was later charged with her murder.
Mathew Gale, 38, was pulled over by police, Tasered and thrown to the ground
Police initially alleged Gale was drunk and going 20km/h over the limit in May
In court, police did not know how fast he was going and dropped most charges
Gale said he was put in the watch house for hours and was covered in grazes
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