News Digest

Gunman confesses on TV then hijacks and smashes reporter’s camera van

A gunman flagged down an Australian TV cameraman to confess to his crimes - before changing his mind, stealing the news van and crashing into a petrol station. Peter Steer was on his way to cover reports of a siege in Queensland - on his first day working for Channel 7 News - when a barefoot biker beckoned him to pull over. In the first of a remarkable series of events all captured on video, the leather-clad suspect began weeping while telling Steer: “I’ve done an extremely bad thing…I hope she’s alright. I think she’s dead.” With blood on his hands and while Steer can be heard reporting the matter to police over the phone, the sobbing biker says: “I surrender myself to God.”

I was very, very annoyed with myself. I should have locked the car up. My car’s a write-off now.

Channel 7 News reporter Peter Steer

But despite the cameraman calling police again to tell them “it’s extremely important, I have the person you’re looking for”, the suspect has a change of heart and jumps into the news van. Footage shows him pointing a gun at Steer, who tells the man: “Don’t be an idiot.” Steer said: “He got off his bike and approached me and said ‘I’ve got a story for you’. “I said ‘Well mate, you better hurry because I’m going to a shooting’, and he said ‘Mate, I’m the shooter’.” The man was later charged with attempted murder, armed robbery, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful possession of a weapon and unlawful damage.