Noel Bernard Young sentenced for attempted Ballina Woolworths break in

A man who tried to bust into a Ballina Woolworths using a piece of wood, spat in an officer’s face as police tried to secure him. See how a court dealt with the matters.

Ballina Woolworths. Picture: Google Maps.

A man tried to break into a Ballina Woolworths by wielding a large piece of wood to smash the glass sliding doors after hours.

Noel Bernard Young, 45, pleaded guilty at Ballina Local Court to damaging property, being armed with the intention of committing an indictable offence, resisting a police officer and two counts of assaulting a police officer.

Police saw the man trying to smash his way into Woolies about 12.30am on February 7, court documents state.

Officers told Young to drop the wood and he did, before trying to make a quick getaway on his bike.

But he complied again when officers told him to dismount, as he raised his hands in the air and was arrested.

When police attempted to get Young in the caged section of the police car, he resisted and said: “I’m not getting in there” and spat in an officer’s face.

At Ballina police station Young told officers he was trying to get into Woolworths to assist someone inside the store, court documents state.

He was kept in custody overnight and in the morning he picked up a chair in his cell and bashed it against the wall.

Ballina Police Station. Picture: Savannah Pocock

An officer attempted to calm him, but Young hurled racial slurs, and “You mother f--ker. Let me out”.

Young then threw a glass of water in the officer’s face.

Defence lawyer Tenika Vakauta said “spitting on the police officer was reactive”.

“He was trying to help someone he thought was inside the store … he has been in prison multiple times in his life.”

The court heard Young was on bail while committing the offences and has a separate matter at Ballina Local Court on May 1.

Ballina Local Court. Picture: Savannah Pocock

Magistrate Karen Stafford said Young sustained trauma to his head when he was young, and he was not taking his prescribed medication at the time of the offending.

“For people who spit in the face of the police doing their job, the court needs to send a message out to prevent this behaviour,” Ms Stafford said.

She sentenced him to 12-months’ jail with a non-parole period of four months with extended supervision.

Young received an additional two months in jail for assaulting a police officer.