Braden Samuel Hardy jailed for bashing police officer waiting for pizza outside Domino’s at Ballina

A North Coast man with a history of confrontations with police has been locked up after a brutal unprovoked attack on an officer who was waiting for a Domino’s pizza.

The officer was waiting for a pizza when Braden Samuel Hardy repeatedly hit him.

A North Coast man has been jailed after a vicious unprovoked attack on a police officer who was waiting for a Domino’s pizza in a marked police car.

Blood was “streaming” down the victim’s face after he was repeatedly punched in the head in what Ballina Local Court heard was a case of mistaken identity.

Ballina man Braden Samuel Hardy attacked the officer on August 20 this year and pleaded guilty while locked up to assault causing actual bodily harm.

The police officer and Hardy were both collecting pizzas when the attack happened. Picture: Google Maps

It comes after the 37-year-old barricaded himself in a building and smashed a mirror before threatening police with broken glass in 2020.

Court documents state the officer and Hardy were both picking up pizzas from Domino’s Pizza at Ballina about 9.30pm.

The victim was waiting in his police car outside the shop when Hardy opened a door and punched him in the head multiple times.

The officer leaned back in a bid to avoid the strikes, but Hardy leaned inside the car and continued to hit him.

The officer kicked Hardy and told him: “I don’t know you.”

The police car was parked outside the pizza shop. Picture: File

Hardy walked to the shop as the officer yelled: “If I wasn’t on patrol, I’d catch up with you later.”

The documents state the victim wiped away blood “streaming” down his face and went inside the shop, where he asked Hardy: “Who the f--k are you?”

Hardy said: “I thought you were someone else man, I thought you were someone else.”

The officer reported the attack and grabbed his pizza. He suffered a large cut above an eye and a small cut below it, as well as swelling to both eyes.

Police arrested Hardy and he attributed the attack to mistaken identity. The victim and Hardy did not know each other, police state.

Hardy faced Ballina Local Court. Picture: Savannah Pocock

Defence lawyer Rebecca Witchard told the court during sentencing on October 17 that Hardy was exposed to heavy alcohol use and domestic violence as a child.

Hardy was kicked out of home at a young age and began taking drugs when he was a teenager.

“Brady had run out of medication for his mental health and did not renew his script,” Ms Witchard said.

“He has had limited education and opportunities.

Magistrate Karen Stafford told the court there were numerous blows in the attack.

“It was an unprovoked attack on the victim, who was just sitting in his car waiting for a pizza,” she said.

“You mistook his identity for someone else – which does not excuse it.”

Ms Stafford told the court Hardy wrongly thought the officer was endangering his family.

“The offender has no remorse for the attack and shows no insight,” she said.

Ms Stafford sentenced Hardy to 18-months jail with a nine-month non-parole period.

Brady was told to undergo treatment for drug rehabilitation and childhood trauma.