Luke Shakespeare sentenced for assaulting police officer at Menai home

A man was on drugs when he attacked and resisted police who were trying to arrest him, a court has heard.

Luke Shakespeare barged into a police officer before he pushed another one while resisting arrest at his Menai home. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A 20-year-old man will have to complete almost 200 hours of community service work after he barged his shoulder, spat at, pushed and tried to bite officers who were arresting him, a court has heard.

Luke Shakespeare was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to resisting police, assaulting a police officer in the execution of duty causing actual bodily harm, and assaulting police.

Agreed facts tendered to court state police arrived at Shakespeare’s Menai home on March 15 last year where they saw bloody footprints and found Shakespeare with a significant laceration on his foot; and he appeared heavily intoxicated.

When officers moved Shakespeare towards an ambulance he attempted to walk into the laundry where police had been told a knife was previously located.

A sergeant grabbed the back of Shakespeare’s shirt to escort him back into the hallway and the officer’s partner, a senior constable, grabbed Shakespeare’s arm.

Shakespeare was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to resisting police, assaulting a police officer in the execution of duty causing actual bodily harm, and assaulting police without causing actual bodily harm.

Shakespeare resisted arrest by pulling against the officers, was flailing his arms and pulling against their grip. He then dropped his shoulder and barged into the sergeant forcing him into the wall.

The officers had to use an arm bar hold and wrestled him to the ground where he was handcuffed.

While being treated by a paramedic, Shakespeare shuffled his hands to the front of his body and became aggressive towards the senior constable.

Shakespeare became more agitated and he used both hands to push the officer in the chest.

He was again taken to the ground by several officers where he continued to resist, spit, squirm and at one point attempted to bite police.

He was eventually placed into the back of a caged truck and taken to Sutherland Hospital to be treated for his injuries and on release was charged.

The sergeant sustained bruising to the right side of his face and a small laceration to his cheek while his partner received several scratches.

In court, Shakespeare’s lawyer Amanda Brady asked for client to be placed on a community correction order because of his young age, his previous compliance with court orders, his change in “overall attitude and self rehabilitation” and his suitability for community service work.

Ms Brady said Shakespeare initially pleaded not guilty to the charges because he had no recollection of the incident because he had taken Xanax, but after watching the body worn footage realised how he had behaved.

She noted Shakespeare had a limited criminal history at the time of the offending, had undertaken drug rehabilitation, not taken Xanax since the incident and had engaged with Salvation Army lifestyle behavioural programs.

Magistrate Roger Prowse noted the explanation for Shakespeare’s “state of mind” on the night and the positive steps he had taken towards his rehabilitation.

He questioned why Shakespeare thought he could “transfigure into the Hulk” before he placed him on a community correction order for 15 months where he must be of good behaviour and complete 190 hours of community service.