A magistrate has dismissed claims of remorse from a teenage father who was "significantly intoxicated" when he shoved a police officer in the chest outside an Albury pub.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sally McLaughlin said the defence submission in Albury Local Court carried no great weight "given how readily" remorse was proferred by defendants.
"How the police came to be assaulted is just beyond belief when they're just going about their job," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS:
Ms McLaughlin said the assault police charge was "very serious" but so was the 18-year-old carrying a knife, given the potential tragic consequences when an intoxicated person loses "their senses".
"Obviously you had too much to drink," she told Seth Ross, who was convicted and fined $1200 on pleading guilty to assault police.
Ross pleaded guilty also to offensive behaviour, possess or attempt to possess a prescribed restricted substance and custody of a knife in a public place.
He escaped conviction and was put on a six-month conditional release order on the offensive behaviour and restricted substance charges, but convicted and fined $320 over the knife.
Ross and another man were belligerent and abusive towards police outside The Star hotel in Guinea Street late on the night of May 20.
At one point they got into a car with a woman, who drove off only to be stopped by police because the headlights were off.
The woman failed a preliminary breath test and it was while she was being arrested that both Ross and another man tried to intervene, insisting on also going to the Albury police station.
The incident began just before 11pm when a security guard at The Star flagged down police, explaining there were patrons inside who were refusing to leave as directed and it was feared they might become violent.
Police went inside and a man with Ross was told to leave because he was intoxicated, but he "was argumentative with police and using offensive language".
Extra police arrived and Ross, the other man and the woman were escorted outside.
"The accused became argumentative with police, using offensive language while (the other man) kept saying 'you're all f---ing dogs."
The man looked at police and spat on the ground, which Ross copied.
The officer was pushed after he tried to take Ross by the arm.
A later search revealed Ross was carrying a kitchen knife and seven diazepam 5mg tablets.
To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @bordermail
- Follow us on Instagram @bordermail
- Follow us on Google News
