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Thursday February 23, 2012

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Bernard Tomic calls in the lawyer

Posted by: 3AW Radio | 27 January, 2012 - 9:10 AM
Bernard Tomic

LATEST: Tennis star Bernard Tomic could face further traffic charges after a standoff with police at his Gold Coast home on Australia Day.

Police say the 19-year-old was issued with two tickets after twice being intercepted driving his high-powered BMW.

*Scroll down to hear Neil Mitchell's editorial and Ross and John's cross to the Gold Coast on Friday*

He could also be charged with failing to stop.

Tomic claims he's been persecuted by police But Inspector Glenn Allen says at this stage, no formal complaint has been lodged.

FRIDAY: Bernard Tomic has called in a lawyer after being pulled over by police on the Gold Coast on Thursday.

The 19-year-old was followed home by officers after he failed to stop in Surfers Paradise.

The P-Plater is only licensed to drive his high-powered BMW to and from training.

After locking himself inside his Southport home for several hours he emerged to tell reporters he was being targeted.

THURSDAY: Tennis young gun Bernard Tomic has claimed a police officer wanted to "hit" him after pulling the 19-year-old over in his high-powered sports car on the Gold Coast today.

Tomic told Seven News he was issued three $300 traffic infringement notices on three separate occasions while driving his orange V8 BMW M3 through Broadbeach this afternoon.

On one occasion the teenager said he thought an officer "wanted to hit me" and was acting in a threatening manner.

The P-Plate driver is not allowed to drive the BMW but was given an exemption to use it to get to and from training near his family's home in Southport.

Residents told Nine News he was seen "revving" the car in Broadbeach, which is about seven kilometres south of Southport, and failed to stop the third time police tried to pull him over.

He drove home, with police following, and locked himself inside the house.

Eventually a group of five police, including two senior officers and a forensic policeman, congregated on the road opposite the 19-year-old's house in Lenneburg Street.

A former Gold Coast mayor, Lex Bell, also arrived at the Tomic home with local councillor Dawn Kritchlow during the afternoon.

It's believed the forensic officer followed Tomic to his home after tailing sports car.

The officer was heard telling one of the senior police that he had tried to pull Tomic over but he continued driving to his house.

Tomic's car was parked on the property behind locked security gates.

The two senior police entered the Tomic home shortly after 4.30pm local time (5.30pm AEDT) and emerged a short time later.

Inspector Glenn Allen said it appeared that Tomic wanted to lay "some sort of complaint, although the nature of it was not clear".

"At this stage we are waiting for Tomic's lawyer to come," he told reporters.

"I don't know what he wants to make a complaint about at this stage but we'll judge that when he talks to his solicitor.

Inspector Allan said exactly what sparked the incident was still being determined.

"I don't know what it was at this stage. Let me talk to Mr Tomic and we'll give you a statement later.

The Courier-Mail also reported that Tomic's father John confronted police officers at the house and accused them of 'un-Australian' actions.

Tomic was knocked out of the Australian Open in his fourth-round match against Roger Federer this week.

While the teenager was avoiding police, Davis Cup Pat Rafter, who had been criticial of Tomic's attitude last year, was lauding the young prodigy's newfound maturity.

"We had a little issue over there in Sydney (during a Davis Cup tie)," said Rafter.

"He probably wasn't at that maturity level back then with what I had to tell him.

"But he's certainly done something (to improve that) over the November, December time."

Rafter said he had talked tough to Tomic.

"Like I said, he's just gone to a different level. He was exactly where he should be right now. His attitude was great over the summer."

- SMH.com.au; Richard Hinds and Georgina Robinson

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PLAY: Ross and John AND Neil Mitchell's coverage of bizarre yarn

Blog comments Your Say

  • Tomic, you may not be a tool but you are certainly being presented as such in the media. My advice to you would be keep your orange car in the garage and buy something less likely to draws this unwanted attention.

    telfer cronos Wednesday 1 February, 2012 - 10:34 AM

  • Brad said:

    Quite amusing to see a GERMAN call Australians racist.
    ========

    He is not German. Yes, he was born in Germany but he himself admits to being Croatian. He said that the police were racist because of his Croatian background. This was in The Herald Sun.

    His father used the same argument when he accused Lleyton of being racist against his son because of their Croatian background.
    I felt sorry for Bernard then thinking he was saddled with the same ugly parent as Djokic but now I can see that Bernard is no better.

    Peggy Sunday 29 January, 2012 - 2:09 PM

  • I have to wonder what makes this kid so special that he deserves an exemption to the law that applies to all other P Platers?! Does his ability to hit a ball over a net make him a better driver than my P Plater son? Make him wait for the privilege of driving a high powered vehicle like everyone else has to. And as for playing the race card 'YAWN' that is getting so old.

    Roz Sunday 29 January, 2012 - 12:22 AM

  • I'd like to know the grounds for granitng the exemption, I think the Dept of Main Roads and a case to answer with this incident. I presume that we restrict the use of high powered cars for P platers because there is an increased risk of accidents for the driver and those in other vehicles. To grant a waiver because Mr Tomic has a sponsorship from BMW is ludicrous and puts all other road users at risk, if it doesn't why have the P plate restrictions at all?

    If I can get a sponsorship from a high powered weapon manufacturer, would the Govt give me special permission to carry it around?

    David Saturday 28 January, 2012 - 2:19 PM

  • What a loser, obviously a chip off the old block!

    John Friday 27 January, 2012 - 11:11 PM

  • It's a shame that your bratish behaviour has taken the gloss off all the good work your tennis has done. I have thought for a long time that you were just another poo, but that changed during the tennis (apart from some stupid comments in press conferences) but that has all reverted back to my original thoughts, just another spoilt brat like 'the poo'

    Di Friday 27 January, 2012 - 11:08 PM

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