Benjamin Russell Pope: Ipswich man fronts court after kicking police officer in face

A 40-year-old man understood to have anger management issues has faced sentence in an Ipswich court for kicking a police officer in the face and smashing a police car window.

An Ipswich man who kicked a police officer in the face and smashed a police car window has issues controlling his anger, a court has heard.

Benjamin Russell Pope, 40, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Tuesday June 14 via video-link from custody on a number of charges including one of serious assault of a police officer while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and in a public place, one of obstructing police in the same circumstances, and one of wilful damage of police property.

He pleaded guilty to all offences.

The court heard they occurred at Wulkuraka on November 16 and 17 last year, when Pope was 39 years old and subject to parole.

Legal officer with the Director of Public Prosecutions Ashleigh Wakefield said police had placed the Collingwood Park man under arrest and searched him in relation to an incident when he became “non-compliant” with officer’s directions.

“He refused to enter the police pod and he was dropping his body weight and falling to the ground while they were trying to do that, which gives rise to the obstruct charge,” Ms Wakefield said.

“He was verbally aggressive towards police, causing him to be restrained. He was then moved to the police pod and claimed to have a medical issue so that he could be moved into the police vehicle backwards.”

While doing so, he kicked a police officer in the face, causing his head to rear backwards. Ms Wakefield said the officer felt immediate pain and discomfort, as well as soreness to his nose.

The then-39-year-old also “kicked violently” at the Perspex window, breaking it into several pieces.

Benjamin Russell Pope, 40, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court via video-link on Tuesday June 14.

Pope was subsequently transported to the watch-house where he was formally charged and undertook a voluntary breath analysis which returned an alcohol reading of 0.16.

Given his level of intoxication, he could not be interviewed and he was remanded in custody.

By Tuesday, he had been in custody for a total of 210 days.

Defence lawyer Matthew Fairclough of Walker Pender Group said alcohol played a part in his client’s offending and he was angry and upset at the time.

Mr Fairclough asked Magistrate Robert Walker to consider that Pope was a qualified welder with employment prospects, that he had entered an early plea of guilty, and that he had the support of his family.

The court heard the 40-year-old also suffered anxiety and depression.

Mr Walker noted the seriousness of his offending, including the violence to the police officer, his pleas of guilty, his anger management issues, and the time he spent in presentence custody when deciding an appropriate penalty.

Pope was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment to be served cumulatively upon sentences he is presently liable to serve. He was granted immediate parole eligibility and was ordered to complete 40 hours of unpaid community service.

A conviction was recorded for each offence.