James Dylan Adams: Dubbo man appeals sentence in a bid to see the birth of his first child

A father-to-be who bit a police officer while high hopes to see the birth of his first child after asking a judge to reduce his sentence. Find out what happened.

A soon-to-be-father with hopes of seeing the birth of his daughter has asked a judge for a second chance after he was jailed in August for biting a police officer while high on meth.

James Dylan Adams, 23, appeared in Dubbo District Court via video link, representing himself after he was arrested earlier this year in April.

Agreed facts tendered to court reveal Adams checked himself into Dubbo Base Hospital, asking for treatment for “insect bites” about 4.30pm on Anzac Day.

Dubbo Base Hospital. Picture: Ryan Young

Hospital staff noticed Adams was “very agitated” with “heightened” behaviour. He told staff he self-medicates using meth and that he “used (it) right before I came to hospital”.

Adams continued to act irrationally, and police were called to help sedate him.

A short time later, Adams became enraged at the police presence and started chucking chairs and creating a “barrier”.

After using “de-escalation techniques” and “two successful sedative injections”, police were forced to use their taser.

Adams later bit the top of a policeman’s right forearm, causing bruising and bleeding.

Officers later found 10g of cannabis after Adams was contained.

The following day, police found Adams on the corner of Macquarie and Wingewarra streets in Dubbo, where he was approached about an outstanding warrant for the hospital attack.

He ran from police before he was caught and taken to Dubbo police station.

On Thursday, Adams submitted an appeal on the severity of his 12-month prison sentence handed down by Magistrate Greg Grogin in Dubbo Local Court on August 18.

“I am happy with the sentence … they’re a frontline officer, and I understand they’re there to do a job,” Adams said.

“I wish to say I’m sorry for what I’ve done … I’ve spoken with that police officer over the phone with my missus.

“I put this appeal in because I have my firstborn child. I have a daughter on the way. I don’t want to be labelled as a coward for not being there and sitting in jail, bro.”

Adams told the court his daughter was due on November 28, and he asked Judge Craig Smith “if there is any possible chance” of reducing his sentence by one month.

James Adams, 23, appeared in Dubbo District Court on Thursday. Photo: Facebook

When questioned by Judge Smith about “being labelled as a coward”, Adams said he didn’t want to continue down the path of “running around and doing drugs” and being an absent father.

“I went to the hospital trying to receive help, putting my hand up, saying basically look, I have a problem with meth,” Adams said.

“[Saying I had] the insect bites was to ease off a little bit of pain … if I said I have been on meth since I was 13 … police would have taken the kid off me, it’s the reason I went to get help.”

While offering sympathy for Adams’ “personal circumstances”, Rachel Fisher from the Director of Public Prosecutions agreed with the 23-year-old’s own admission about his troubled criminal history.

“The sentence imposed by the local court … in my own words is mostly okay, fair and proportionate to the offending behaviour,” Ms Fisher said.

“It gives effect to the violent manner of offending to this particular police officer and also has some regard to … the two-year bonds Adams was on when he did bite this police officer.

“Adams has said himself the criminal history is not good, that’s clear, the part the Crown says is particularly not good is the majority of his criminal history is violence based offences and there are priors of offending against police officers in a violent manner.”

Ms Fisher again noted some insight shown by Adams on Thursday into his offending but pointed out the sentencing assessment report, which wasn’t favourable.

Ultimately, Judge Smith concluded that the sentence imposed by Magistrate Grogin was “entirely appropriate”.

However, in identifying the rehabilitation benefit of seeing the birth of his first child, Judge Smith said “special circumstances” were available to “moderately” adjust the non-parole period from eight months to seven.

Judge Smith allowed the appeal, making Adams eligible for parole on November 25, three days before his partner is expected to give birth.