Eric Bott fronts Dandenong Court over police officer assault and drink driving charges
A Burwood man who assaulted two cops while dressed only in his undies asked a Magistrate what the “quickest way out of court” would be.
South East
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A Burwood man in court over assaulting two police officers and drink driving asked a Magistrate “what the quickest way to get out of court” was.
Eric Bott pleaded guilty to assaulting two emergency workers and drink driving in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on July 12, after a brief interaction with a Magistrate over “what his options” were.
Initially hesitant to plead guilty, Bott asked Magistrate Tony Burns what would “get him out of court” quicker.
Mr Burns warned Bott that he couldn’t give him legal advice, but said the outcome would likely be the same if he were to plead guilty or proceed to a contest mention.
Satisfied with the explanation, Bott pleaded guilty to the charges.
The court heard Bott attended a Burwood home in January 2022, where police were called to attend.
When the attending officers arrived they found Bott in the backyard wearing only underwear, “seemingly substance affected”.
The court heard as officers attempted to arrest Bott, he resisted, proceeding to assault both members.
Bott punched one officer to the side of the face and wrestled them to the ground.
As the scuffle continued, the second officer sprayed Bott with capsicum spray.
From the ground, Bott kicked the standing officer in the chest, causing them to fall backwards into a garden bed.
A second pair of police officers attended to assist following the altercation, providing after-care to both the injured officers and Bott.
Paramedics later attended the scene and transported Bott to Box Hill Hospital after he asked to be psychiatrically evaluated.
He was released into police custody after doctors cleared him as mentally fit and injury free.
The court heard Bott was then bailed and released, as he was deemed “unfit for interview” because he was drug affected.
On January 6 this year, Bott was seen by police driving in Springvale, where an automatic registration check showed the car he was driving to be unregistered since April 2022.
Officers intercepted him at 9pm requiring him to undergo a mandatory breath test, to which he returned a reading of 0.059.
When asked why he was driving an unregistered car, Bott said he “didn’t have any other option”.
In relation to the drink driving charge, he said he “had no real reason” for driving under the influence.
On Wednesday, Mr Burns automatically disqualified Bott from driving for 12 months and ordered him to pay a $1200 fine with conviction.
