A RUTHERGLEN man who had to be hit with pepper spray while being arrested during a drunken incident at a pub has no memory of what occurred.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Stephen Jones, 35, forced the Victoria Hotel to close early on February 6 after being tackled to the ground by officers.
Police had initially been called to the Poachers Paradise Hotel about 12.30am amid concerns over Jones’ behaviour.
They couldn't find him and went to the Victoria Hotel and were told by two women that a man had been acting bizarrely in the toilet.
They found Jones in the main bar and spoke to him, but he was evasive and became abusive.
He attempted to walk outside and violently resisted arrest, and increasingly become more agitated as police tried to apprehend him.
Police pepper sprayed him, which had minimal impact on his aggression and anger, and he thrashed on the ground as officers tried to handcuff him.
Officers requested backup and held him on the ground for seven minutes before he was cuffed.
About 30 people had been inside the venue, which was forced to shut immediately.
The incident was captured by security cameras at the venue.
Jones was taken to police cells about 90 minutes later and threw wet toilet paper onto a security camera.
Custody officers were forced to remove the wet paper.
He later told police he was unable to remember the event after consuming a large amount of alcohol.
Officers raided his home a few days later and found five “very healthy” cannabis plants in pots and three large plants covered in cling wrap under a clothesline.
Jones described the large plants as his “babies” and said smoking helped his depression and anxiety.
Magistrate John Murphy asked Jones if he had prior convictions, which he denied, but his criminal history was given to the magistrate.
His priors include robbery and he has served jail time.
While he told the Wodonga Magistrates’ Court he drank alcohol very rarely, he said he had had blacked out on the night.
Jones admitting to using cannabis to deal with his depression and anxiety but said he had never touched ice.
He said he didn't like the drug after seeing what it had done to his ex-partner. The magistrate said he had acted like he was high on the drug during his arrest, given his aggression and the strength he showed, as police tried to control him.
“You've seen the disruption you've caused,” Mr Murphy said.
Jones is single, lives by himself and has not worked for the past year.
He was placed on a 12-month community corrections order after being assessed as suitable.
