SPRINGDALE Heights man Phillip Millsteed knew he was in trouble when police arrived at his former partner’s residence.
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He had been banned from attending her home in North Albury under the terms of a recent apprehended violence order.
A court heard yesterday police were told by neighbours they had been arguing for an hour and Millsteed was told several times to leave.
Officers went along a walkway from Burrows Road to York Place, opened an unlocked front gauze door and announced their presence.
Millsteed was standing next to his former partner, who was sitting on a lounge chair.
He was told by an officer he was not supposed to be there and replied: “Can I run?
The quick-witted officer responded with: “Can I arrest you?”
Millsteed contemplated running for the back door, but there was a crew from a second police waiting for him there.
He then claimed: “I thought I could be here to collect my stuff as long as it was arranged with her.”
Magistrate Tony Murray was told in Albury Local Court that police arrested and handcuffed Millsteed.
At that point, Millsteed and his former partner launched a tirade of abuse at police.
The woman was standing at her door shouting at police as Millsteed was taken along a walkway.
He thought she was abusing him and launched a belligerent response.
She yelled back: “I was sticking up for you, you idiot.”
Millsteed, 35, of Glenelg Drive, pleaded guilty to a charge of contravening an apprehended violence order.
He had pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault with an act of indecency with the same victim and the matter was listed for hearing.
But police withdrew the charge when the victim refused to attend court despite being served with a subpoena.
Millsteed pleaded guilty to another charge of failing to attend court on October 24 last year.
Mr Murray said the appropriate penalty for breaching the apprehended violence order would be community service, but Millsteed was deemed unsuitable through injury.
Millsteed was fined $400 and put on a 12-month bond for breaching the order with a further fine of $400 for failing to attend court.