A RELATIONSHIP counsellor and psychologist has been fined for a drunken outburst against his wife inside the Wodonga court precinct.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Wodonga Magistrates Court on Tuesday heard Dr Brian Hickman assisted others, but was himself "not well and he needs help".
He has priors for family violence related offending.
He was also charged with raping a woman in Albury in 2012 but was found not guilty after trial.
The Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency shows his psychology registration is suspended.
An intervention order was taken out in the Wodonga court by his wife and her daughter in February last year.
The pair were waiting outside the courtroom on December 10 when Hickman approached.
He looked at them, pointed his hat, and said "deported, both of you".
He was standing closer than five metres from the pair, in breach of the intervention order.
Police received reports that Hickman was passed out on a bench outside the court and they spoke to him about 11.40am.
He had been drinking vodka from a Sprite bottle and was argumentative with the officers.
He refused to leave and was arrested before being taken to the nearby police station.
When questioned, Hickman rambled about child prostitution.
"You honour, my client is not well and he needs help," his lawyer told the court.
The Wodonga-based psychologist is willing to take part in a men's behaviour change program.
He once ran the program himself.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The court heard Hickman was planning to meet with a forensic psychologist to "address his ongoing issues in terms of his mental health".
Magistrate Ian Watkins said the breach of the intervention order occurred inside "a court house, of all places, where they were entitled to feel safe".
"You should have had better tools in your toolkit to deal with stressful and emotional situations like that," the magistrate said.
Hickman was argumentative after being fined $750, and said his friend had given him vodka without his knowledge.
"I just blurted it out," he said, and noted he hadn't done anything wrong for some time.
"Well, sadly in life you can't push the rewind button," the magistrate replied.
Receive our daily newsletter straight to your inbox each morning from The Border Mail. Sign up here