Abbott was in earlier gun battle

14 December 2002

A blazing gun battle with bank robbers caused serious psychological problems for the police officer who later shot and killed Steven Wallace, it has been revealed.

Senior Constable Keith Abbott suffered flashbacks, anxiety attacks, and tearful bouts of depression after the 1991 shootout at a New Plymouth PostBank. He also declared he would shoot to kill if caught in the same situation again.

Lucky not to be hit when an armed robber fired at him from close range, Mr Abbott described the ordeal as "the most horrendously mind-shattering experience I had ever encountered".

Almost a year after the bungled robbery, in an anonymous interview with a Taranaki newspaper, Mr Abbott said he was "no longer scared of death".

He said: "It would be easier to die and I don't think I would find it so hard killing anyone from now on if it was justified."

Dominion Post, © Wellington Newspapers Limited 2002