Ronald John Kuhrt pleads guilty to serious assault of a police officer, wilful damage, carrying a knife in public

A magistrate described an Ipswich man’s offending over the period of three months as an ‘entrenched pattern of anti-social behaviour’.

A man has been jailed over a series of anti-social criminal offences including carrying a knife in public.

A man with diagnosed mental health issues claimed he began to hear voices in his head after taking ice and embarking on a spate of criminal offending that included carrying a knife in public.

An Ipswich magistrate this week said it was difficult to know if the problems Ronald Kuhrt experienced were drug induced or as a result of his pre-existing condition.

Ronald John Kuhrt, 32, from Ipswich, pleaded guilty to serious assaulting a police officer by spitting; seven charges of causing wilful damage, trespass; two charges of public nuisance; obstructing police; possession of a knife in public; failing to appear at court; and breaching bail conditions.

He appeared before the court via video-link from custody.

Prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull said he was a mature age offender with a relevant criminal history.

He said the offences were aggravated as Kuhrt was on a suspended jail sentence at the time.

Sgt Turnbull said police sought an eight-month jail term for the serious assault of an officer and two additional months in jail for failing to appear and possession of the knife.

Defence lawyer Emily Fackender said Kuhrt had already spent 33 days in custody.

“He tells me he suffers from depression and psychosis. He hears voices,” she said.

“The voices got quite bad. He was in a bad place and there are significant mental health concerns.”

Ms Fackender said Kuhrt was using the drug ice, as well as Subutex, and not been taking his medication at the time.

She said he had begun using marijuana and alcohol from the age of 12, and ice from 18.

Magistrate Leanne Scoines asked whether there were any reports on Kuhrt’s mental health issues.

Ms Fackender said there were not, and Kuhrt was on a waiting list in jail to receive mental health care.

“It is difficult for me to know whether his hearing of voices is drug-induced due to the ice he was using,” Ms Scoines said.

“I have no evidence to hang it on. Only what he says.”

Ms Scoines revealed some of the police prosecution facts, saying the offences occurred between March 2 and June 6 this year.

On February 26 Kuhrt was placed on a suspended sentence for having a knife in public.

“The offences, most if not all, are really about you being out in the community causing disruption to people and property,” Ms Scoines said.

She said Kuhrt had been found at Ipswich railway station with a knife.

“You put on quite a show there. Security officers had to render assistance,” she said.

“You were loitering and acting aggressive to the rail staff. Making it very clear you were carrying a knife under your shirt and you lifted it so they could see.”

Ms Scoines said a wilful damage charge related to an incident at the Strand Hotel.

“You got a large object and smashed a window,” she said.

“For no apparent reason you destroyed the windscreen of a car in a repair shop with a wooden stake.”

She said another charge involved Kuhrt kicking glass doors of stores at Riverlink, damaging a radiology sign and also causing damage at a hearing clinic.

There had also been an incident at Kingaroy where he put an object into a parked car for no reason.

Ms Scoines said the assault of a police officer occurred in the watch-house.

Kuhrt became aggressive and spat at the officer’s face.

“It is a very entrenched pattern of anti-social behaviour,” she said.

“There is no medical evidence before me that psychosis is the cause, or is organic, or the result of methamphetamine use.”

Kuhrt was sentenced to seven months jail for the assault of the officer, along with separate terms of one-month. The suspended one-month sentence was activated making it 10 months in total.

Kuhrt will serve another two months in jail and be released on parole in September.