Ex-Coffs cop Travis Paul Pocock walks free after charges dropped

An ex-Coffs police officer dubbed ‘robocop’ for his sheer size – who previously had several assault charges dropped – is still bulletproof after having fresh allegations dismissed in court.

An ex-Coffs police officer dubbed ‘robocop’ for his sheer size – who previously had several assault charges dropped – is still bulletproof after having fresh allegations dismissed in court.

Travis Paul Pocock was due to be sentenced in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday for one count of assault an one count of perverting the court of justice charge.

Pocock pleaded guilty to the charges last year.

It comes after the 41-year-old fronted court in November, where Magistrate Jeff Linden dismissed a total of six assault charges of assault against Pocock.

During his court appearance in November, Pocock was dubbed ‘robocop’ due to his imposing stature.

The previous charges were levelled at Pocock after an alleged string of incidents between May 2020 and February 2021 while he was a serving officer in the Nambucca region and on duty at Macksville Police Station.

It was heard in court on Tuesday Pocock allegedly altered a police fact sheet and assaulted a man in custody “in a fit of rage” despite the detainee being compliant during the arrest.

Travis Paul Pocock leaves Coffs Harbour Court on January 14 after his assault and pervert the course of justice charges were dismissed.

Another officer was wearing a body worn camera which was activated and Pocock said: “You probably just captured me losing my s--t.”

Magistrate Linden told the court the 60-second video “effectively didn’t capture him losing his s--t but it was enough to get him to amend a paragraph in a police fact sheet.”

Travis Paul Pocock exits Coffs Harbour Court on January 14 2025 after two charges against him were dismissed.

On Tuesday, Pocock was seen in a black shirt, tie, dark wraparound shades and socks adorned with flying pigs.

Defence lawyer Trent Haberfield told the court his client had no criminal history and the event was “the straw that broke the camel’s back” after his client had been diagnosed with PTSD in 2019 from exposure to police call-outs.

He told the court Pocock had commenced treatment and had not returned to work since the incident.

He said Pocock was “impacted by his own mental state at the time” and there was a “causal connection between his mental state and offending”.

“He was labouring under the PTSD condition.

Haberfield argued for the charges to be diverted from punishment under criminal law and instead be dealt with under the mental health provisions available to the court.

Travis Paul Pocock leaving Coffs Harbour local court on Tuesday November 19.

The crown prosecutor told the court there was no causal link between PTSD and the offences, which she argued were far too serious to be dealt with under the Mental Health Act and pushed for criminal punishment.

Haberfield countered that due to a history of suicidal ideation documented before the offences, serving prison time would be harmful to Pocock’s wellbeing.

In sentencing Magistrate Linden said both offences “were at the lower end of the spectrum” and chose to proceed under Section 14 of the Mental Health Forensic Impairment Provision Act.

Linden dismissed the charges and ordered Pocock into the care of a responsible person, and to comply with all treatment advised by health professionals for a period of 12 months.

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Originally published as Ex-Coffs cop Travis Paul Pocock walks free after charges dropped