A PASSERBY was too frightened to provide a written statement to police after she saw a man point a firearm at a woman in Launceston, a court has heard.
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Christopher Allan McCulloch, 28, pleaded not guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court yesterday to aggravated assault.
Police have accused Mr McCulloch of having pointed a firearm at his partner and having pushed her while he was holding the firearm outside a house in Margaret Street, Launceston, on the evening of January 15 this year.
Detective Constable Jason Bolton gave evidence and said police seized a 12-gauge shotgun and .22 semi-automatic rifle from Mr McCulloch's car about 7.30pm on January 15.
He said both firearms had been sawn off from the stock and barrel ends.
A passerby had made a triple-0 call to police about what she had seen and the tape was played in court.
The woman told the emergency operator she was in Margaret Street and saw a man with a shotgun.
The witness said the man pointed the firearm at a woman, like he was going to shoot her, then he pushed the woman into a door.
Defence solicitor Alan Hensley asked the woman if media reports of increasing firearm crime in Launceston at the time, had discouraged her from providing a statement to police.
The woman said she was unsure about that, but the firearm had scared her.
A second passerby told the court that he saw a woman throw a can of drink at a man, then the man reached into a car, pulled out a gun and pointed it at the woman.
Mr McCulloch's partner gave evidence for police and said she had had two cocktails and half a bottle of wine before she returned to Margaret Street with Mr McCulloch, where he threw objects out of his car and produced a rifle.
Under cross-examination, the complainant said Mr McCulloch never threatened her with the firearm, nor did he physically harm her.
Magistrate Simon Brown adjourned the matter to November 7 at 2.15pm.