Dimboola man Nathan Hunter sentenced at Ballarat County Court

A Dimboola truckie has learned his fate after his role in a “chaotic” incident where he body slammed a cop upon returning the car he stole.

Dimboola truckie Nathan Hunter learned his fate in court after he assaulted a police officer in May.

A truckie who “body slammed” a cop has been jailed for his role in a “chaotic scene” that broke out after he returned the car he stole.

Dressed in a white t-shirt from Karreenga prison, Dimboola man Nathan Hunter, 39, was sentenced at Ballarat County Court on Friday

He pleaded guilty to theft of motor vehicle, recklessly causing injury, resisting an emergency worker, escaping from police custody, and possessing an imitation firearm.

The court heard Hunter stole a car which belonged to a family friend of his grandmother in Dimboola on May 16 this year.

He took the car about 1.20pm to go and visit his partner in Horsham, before returning the vehicle at 7pm — where two police officers were at the scene waiting for him.

The two officers approached him and Hunter – who had a partly drunk can of Johnnie Walker – was initially cooperative but became “agitated” when given a verbal caution.

The police officer spent four days in hospital after he was body slammed by Nathan Hunter

After attempting to flee the scene on his bike, a scuffle between Hunter and one of the officers broke out where Hunter “lifted” the police officer and slammed him on the ground, landing on top of him.

The officer fractured his clavicle, two ribs and punctured a lung — spending four days in hospital after the incident.

Judge Sarah Dawes said assaulting an emergency worker was a “category 1 offence”.

The court heard Hunter was deprived as a child, leaving home at 14 and more recently falling into a “spiral” of substance abuse.

In sentencing, Judge Dawes said Hunter “panicked” when approached by police.

“The officer was doing his job which unfortunately resulted in your overreaction ... it developed into a chaotic scene,” she said.

He spent 197 days in pre-sentence custody.

He was convicted and sentenced to 12 months behind bars non-parole.