A man wanted for shooting at police was camped in the bush while on the run and was often visited by his partner, an inquest into his death has heard. Robert George Gregg, 33, opened fire on two police cars after responding to a call near New Norfolk in southeast Tasmania on September 26, 2022. The wanted Holden Colorado was spotted by a member of the public around midday on October 10, prompting a SWAT and helicopter operation.
Robert George Gregg, 33, and a blue Holden Colorado 4WD, which he is believed to have been driving. (PR Photo) A body was found in bushland in the afternoon inside a burnt-out Holden, later identified as Gregg. The inquest, which opened in Hobart today, is examining the circumstances and causes of his death. Assistant Coroner Cameron Lee said Gregg had been in trouble with the law since childhood and had been jailed for evading police. In his opening statement, Lee said that on the evening of September 26, Gregg went to the home of a woman who had applied for a domestic violence order against him. He hit her in the head five or six times, saying “this is your fault” and “until death do us part”. Police were called and as they rounded a corner near the house they heard multiple “bangs” and a window of their car was shattered.
a man wanted for shooting at police had camped in bushland while on the run and his partner often visited him, an inquest into his death has heard. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) Lee said eight to 10 shots were fired at the car, with an officer noting the shots came from behind a hedge in a paddock. An officer in another vehicle heard a radio broadcast about the shooting and came across a four-wheel drive with its high beams and roof lights on in nearby New Norfolk. When the car was about 50 metres away, the officer heard about five gunshots. “That’s when police began searching for Greg,” Lee said. Greg camped in bushland not far from New Norfolk and his partner would usually pick him up at 7.30pm, Lee said. The pair communicated through letters placed under wheelie bins and often stayed overnight at her home. Greg’s father, Gary, told reporters at the inquest he believed police had shot his son and burned the car to hide evidence. Gary said a lawyer told him there were reports police used flash bangs – a claim the lawyer later denied. Under cross-examination, Gary admitted there was evidence his son was not shot by police and there was no evidence police fired shots. “I just want to know what the last 10 minutes of his life were like,” he said. Lee said Greg had talked to his partner about being sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison for the shooting and there were previous concerns about his mental health. Guns were found in Greg’s car and Lee said two specialist officers would give evidence of hearing a gunshot. He said the investigation concluded the fire was a deliberate act and an autopsy could not conclusively determine the cause of death from the fire.