Lawrie went around to the 18-year-old’s Eastern Circuit home in East Albury as his partner wanted to confront the young woman.

“Yeah,” Lawrie’s partner told police after their arrest, “we only went down there because she was rousing on me (sic) boy.”

The South Australian man had been set to contest a hearing of charges arising from the incident on the night of July 16, 2018.

But a settlement was reached between the prosecution and defence, resulting in the withdrawal of two counts of being armed (with a knife and a long-handled broom) with intent to commit an indictable offence.

Lawrie, now 25, then pleaded guilty in Albury Local Court to assault police, two counts of resist police and to unlawfully enter enclosed lands.

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Police said Lawrie had a criminal history in South Australia that indicated he might escape from custody, carry weapons and assault police.

He had traveled to Albury to attend a funeral.

The victim, who lived alone, was approaching her home just before 9.30pm on the 16th when she saw Lawrie and Lawrie’s partner standing on the kerb, about five metres from her front door.

She walked on to her front porch, then said to Lawrie: “What do you want? What are you looking at?”

Lawrie joined her on the porch then made his “I’m not afraid to hit a woman” comment.

Lawrie and his partner then left and were later found by police at a house in East Street, where he was “extremely aggressive” and took off his shirt as he challenged police to fight him.

He violently resisted several arrest attempts, as family members jeered police.

One officer suffered abrasions and bruising to his face.

Magistrate Imad Abdul-Karim placed Lawrie on a community corrections order to be of good behaviour for 18 months.

Lawrie was also convicted and fined $220.