Ipswich man Luke Tipene Tahata wrestled and restrained in police-assault rampage

A Springfield Lakes man woke with “no memory” of his drunken tussle with police after ambulance officers needed two doses of sedative to take him down.

Springfield Lakes resident Luke Tipene Tahata, 41, who fronted Ipswich Court for assaulting police. Picture: Facebook

A man has faced sentence for a drunken rampage in which he assaulted multiple police officers who had to “wrestle” him from his own bedroom.

Springfield Lakes resident Luke Tipene Tahata, 41, pleaded guilty in Ipswich District Court on December 6, 2022, to four counts of seriously assaulting a police officer or person acting in aid of a police officer (one causing bodily harm, and one by spitting), along with possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils or pipes, and two counts of obstructing police.

The court heard police were called to Tahata’s house on September 4, 2020.

When Tahata emerged from his bedroom, police found themselves “in essence wrestling [him] from the bedroom”.

Tahata struggled as they handcuffed him and ambulance officers had to sedate him twice.

Judge David Kent said during the “melee”, Tahata spat at two of the police officers, hitting one of them, and scratched another officer’s arms.

The police also found 117g of cannabis and pipes at his house.

Tahata was further charged for later obstructing police by speaking over them and resisting being handcuffed – which Judge Kent commented was “obviously not very serious”.

He noted a victim impact statement from one of the officers revealed the event had had a “significant impact” on him going forward.

Defence barrister Charlotte Smith said Tahata had been struggling with his mental health at the time.

She said he had been intoxicated and had “no real memory of it” but was “very sorry” nonetheless.

Tahata has been in custody on remand since December 2020, which Judge Kent was “more than enough time in relation to these offences”.

He said he accepted that Tahata was “clearly mentally unwell at the time”.

Judge Kent further noted Tahata’s criminal history included drug offending in 2018 and minor traffic offending in New Zealand.

Tahata received a head sentence of two months imprisonment with immediate parole release.

Judge Kent said Tahata was still in custody for other unrelated charges and might not actually get out of custody immediately, however.

A total of 120 days of Tahata‘s presentence custody were declared time-served, and convictions were recorded.