Denis Bradley Shillingsworth sacks Legal Aid lawyer, as charges for Tamworth crime spree are sent to new solicitor

Denis Bradley Shillingsworth is facing a list of charges connected to a run-in with police as they tried to arrest him for an alleged carjacking on December 18 in Tamworth.

His defence team was due to meet the Crown to discuss the charges at a case conference last month but his Legal Aid lawyer, Wendy McAuliffe, is no longer representing him.

His case has stalled as a new lawyer gets a handle on the brief, Tamworth Local Court was told.

READ ALSO:

"He has requested the reassignment of his matter," a Legal Aid solicitor told magistrate Julie Soars .

Shillingsworth, aged 39, did not appear via video link in court for the case mention, but new solicitor Gary Johnston "now has the brief", the Legal Aid lawyer said.

Ms Soars agreed to adjourn the case for a month, "while his new solicitor gets onto the brief".

"[He is] bail not applied for, refused," she said.

Prosecutors finalised the case against Shillingsworth in June, but he's yet to enter pleas to the charges which include an armed carjacking of a highway patrol officer, and a violent struggle with police to arrest him.

The Crown is pushing ahead with five charges including allegations of stealing a car; two counts of assault with intent to take and drive a vehicle; damaging more than $15,000 worth of property; and assaulting police on duty causing actual harm.

Related charges of driving dangerously; and three charges of resisting police are also included in the case against him.

In June, prosecutors dropped a series of charges including aggravated take and drive a vehicle with a person in it while armed with a weapon; and another similar attempted offence to inflict harm; assaulting an officer; and using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention.

The charges stem from an alleged crime spree through South and West Tamworth on the afternoon of December 18.

The 39-year-old is accused of an armed carjacking of a Holden Captiva; and driving in a dangerous manner through Woodward Avenue and Susanne, Edward and Vera streets.

The car then pulled into Vera Street and allegedly crashed into another parked vehicle and set it alight, before the garage erupted in flames.

Shillingsworth was accused of trying to steal the police vehicle; and a parked motorbike in Vera Street; along with assaulting a senior constable causing soreness to his face and an injured right shoulder; and resisting three senior constables.