Raymond Richards faces raft of charges at Bairnsdale court

A Gippsland court became heated after a Bairnsdale crook threw a tantrum and swore at the Magistrate, forcing her to end the hearing.

Raymond Richards appeared online at the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court and faced multiple charges.

An enraged East Gippsland crook cracked a tantrum in court, swearing at the magistrate and forcing her to end the hearing.

Raymond Richards appeared online from remand at the Bairnsdale Magistrate Court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to a raft of charges including assault, shop theft, and criminal damage.

The 41-year-old’s string of offending started in 2022 when he and another man went to a Sale property.

A drunk Richards was asked to leave by the resident and his own companion but he refused and punched his associate’s face.

Later, Richards told police the associate had been “talking s--t” and was “mentally ill”.

Richards, who was drunk, punched the victim in their face at a Sale property in 2022.

On other occasions, Richards stole a roast pork and crackling from Woolworths in Bairnsdale and booze from Aldi.

In June last year, a homeless Richards went to the Lighthouse Mental Health facility in Bairnsdale where he was verbally abusive to one of the women trying to help him find accommodation for the night.

As he walked downstairs at the facility, he punched a wall, cutting his hand before kicking and smashing a glass door.

Defence lawyer Daniel Taylor said his client wanted to get out of custody as soon as possible, but he had “multiple issues he needed addressed”.

However, at this point in the hearing Richards became infuriated, interrupting to swear and say he wanted to be “sentenced out”.

Magistrate Cynthia Lynch warned Richards she would cut the web link if he continued his bad behaviour.
“I can’t understand you Mr Richards, you might as well stop mumbling,” Ms Lynch said.

“You don’t get to carry on and have tantrums — your attitude is very poor.”

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Richards continued to swear and Ms Lynch stopped the hearing.

“His attitude suggests to me he is a risk to the community,” she told Mr Taylor.

“Whatever he has been saying, he’s lucky I can’t understand.”

Ms Lynch said she would have Richards assessed for a community corrections order, and told Mr Taylor his client shouldn’t have “hope” he would be released soon.

She adjourned the matter to later this month.

“It’s a bit of a contradiction what to do with him,” Ms Lynch said.