Gene Harris: Crestmead cop assaulter crashed car twice after violent escape

A Logan man punched police officers in the jaw before speeding away in his car and crashing it twice continued to assault police when he was finally arrested, a court has heard.

A Logan man who punched police officers in the jaw before speeding away in his car and crashing it twice continued to assault police when he was finally arrested, a court has heard.

Gene Bruce Harris, 40, of Crestmead, pleaded guilty in district court at Beenleigh on Wednesday for dangerous operation of vehicle, serious assault of police officer causing bodily harm and serious assault of a police officer.

Gene Bruce Harris. Picture: Facebook

The court heard Harris had been involved in a domestic dispute with his partner and drove off in her car before the police were called on August 29, 2018.

A police officer noticed her car parked opposite Crown Hotel in Maryvale at about 7.30pm and pulled him over nearby.

The police officer told him to get in the police car but Harris refused to comply and punched the officer in the lower left jaw, leaving the officer in pain and the taste of blood in his mouth.

Harris returned to his partner’s car and accelerated forward but didn’t get very far before crashing into a street sign.

He then drove off along Taylor St towards the Cunningham Hwy and was not perused by police at that stage.

Harris crashed the car again on the Cunningham Hwy near Maryvale at about 9.15pm and was arrested at the scene by police.

The court heard Harris was still highly agitated, struggling with police and headbutted the car window of a police car before he was taken to the watch house.

Police attempted to put Harris in a padded cell but he fell to the ground and refused to walk, forcing two officers to hold him by his arms and drag him to his cell.

While being dragged to the cell Harris continued to resist and kicked one of the cops in the jaw when he momentarily lost his grip.

Harris’ lawyer told the court at the time of the offences his client was struggling with drugs and his mental health and had taken some 24 tablets of Serepax.

Judge Craig Chowdhury said Harris was clearly in “no state to be driving” and was lucky he didn’t collide with anyone else on the Cunningham Hwy.

He also said that assaults on police officers must be met with stern punishment.

“Police have a really difficult job in our community,” he said.

“They are exposed to extreme trauma, extreme violence that most of us fortunately never have to witness.”

Judge Chowdhury sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment with an immediate parole release date. He declared the 62 days he spent in pre-sentence custody as time served.

Harris was also disqualified from driving for two years.