By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A CLYDE North man has been jailed after threatening police with a knife and bailing himself up with his two-year-old daughter in a terrifying act of domestic violence.
Anthony Van Eldik, 43, was told by Magistrate Jack Vandersteen on Tuesday that it was lucky no-one was killed during the incident last July, in which two police officers drew firearms and the accused behaved erratically even after being capsicum-sprayed.
“That’s how close you were to being shot,” Magistrate Vandersteen said.
“In this case the situation moved very quickly. It was very fortunate no-one was injured or killed.”
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Gary Van Der Poel told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court that Van Eldik advanced at police officers inside his house while pointing a 40-centimetre serrated-edge kitchen knife in a threatening manner.
The officers drew guns and sprayed Van Eldik with capsicum spray, Leading Sen Const Van Der Poel said.
The accused “clearly affected by the OC spray” then ran outside on to his lawn and again pointed his knife at officers, who drew their firearms.
The court was told Van Eldick dropped the knife, ran and jumped over a cyclone fence next door where his partner and three children stayed with relatives.
The partner had placed an interim family violence order against Van Eldick the day before.
He entered the house, with his partner sheltering in a bedroom where the daughter was sleeping.
Van Eldick forced his way in and barricaded himself and his daughter in the bathroom, holding her as he showered off the lingering capsicum-spray.
The spray transferred, causing “considerable pain” to the accused’s “crying and distressed” daughter, Leading Sen Const Van Der Poel said.
The siege ended with Van Eldik’s surrender, the court was told.
Van Eldik’s lawyer Brent Casey said his client had been the victim of a serious assault “and has the scars to prove it” while in remand for 77 days ahead of the hearing.
Mr Casey said his client had abused valium, amphetamine and ‘ice’ – a combination that produces “quite unpredictable” outcomes.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said Van Eldik’s “poor” mental health, drug use and stresses such as his unemployed status at the time had spilled over to family violence.
The violence Van Eldik received in prison was “no difference” to the family violence meted out to his partner, the magistrate said.
“You were in a cell … she’s stuck with you because she’s married with you and with a child.”
Van Eldik was jailed for a further 13 days and handed a 12-month community corrections order with drug and mental health treatment.
