Daryl Rochester, 38, learns fate after drunken incident at Islamic prayer centre
A man has learned his fate after a drunken incident, including head-butting a pole and trying to fight children, at a western Sydney Islamic prayer centre.
Penrith
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A man who attempted to drunkenly force his way into an Islamic prayer centre during prayer time has avoided a jail sentence.
Daryl Rochester, 38, faced Magistrate Janine Lacy in Penrith Local Court on January 22 on one count of behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order with a condition that he must abstain from alcohol.
According to police, Rochester forced his way through the back gate of the Masjid Islamic Prayer Centre on Glossop St, North St Marys, at 8pm on June 3, 2019.
Once inside, Rochester attempted to instigate a fight with some children that were playing in the carpark.
Police said the children alerted the adults inside, who were in the middle of prayer.
Some of the adults then went to a sliding-glass door and linked arms to prevent Rochester entering the building.
Rochester was told several times to leave the premises, and was eventually pushed to the ground which made him more aggressive, court documents state.
Police said he started to headbutt, elbow and knee a pole on the veranda before members of the prayer centre managed to remove him from the premises.
Rochester then walked onto Glossop St before removing his shirt and yelling at the adults to “come outside”.
Police said he attempted to re-enter the prayer centre one more time before he was arrested. He was taken to Nepean Hospital with injuries to his face caused by headbutting the pole.
Ms Lacy said Rochester had previous issues of alcohol abuse and mental-health, and that a psychological report showed he wasn’t of sound mind when he committed the crime.
She also acknowledged Rochester appeared to have turned a corner as he is now working full time and seeing a drug and alcohol counsellor.
However, she noted that the incident fell above the mid-range of seriousness due to the fact children were involved.