Steven John Cleary pleads guilty to assaulting police officer

Victoria’s top cop has slammed a ‘horrendous’ attack on police officers after they were ambushed for asking a boy to wear a face mask.

Victoria’s top cop Shane Patton has slammed a violent attack on police officers after they were ambushed over asking a boy to wear a mask.

In shocking body-worn camera footage, Steven John Cleary was captured striking at police with the metal bat as the boy grabbed for one officer’s gun.

The 50-year-old can be seen in graphic images repeatedly striking an officer with “immense force” while he was on the ground in the foetal position and clutching his head.

Senior Constable Rowan Baldman described “his vision going blurry, his head shaking, the extreme pain, and not knowing whether he was standing or on the ground”.

“He felt as though he was going to die if the attack continued,” the County Court heard during a plea hearing on Wednesday.

Steven John Cleary was captured striking at police with the metal bat.

Cleary has pleaded guilty to the assault.

The minute-long post-lockdown ambush only ended when Cleary was struck to the head with a police baton after he fired a dropped taser at Constable William Ringin.

Blood could be seen covering Sen Con Baldman’s head and arm, as the officers managed to apprehend the violent offender despite their own horror injuries.

“I was this close to shooting him,” Sen Con Baldman said to his offsider as they sat in the street to catch their breath after backup arrived.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the attack was “horrendous”.

“When I did see the footage ... I thought ‘wow’ that is an horrendous attack,” he told 3AW.

“Our members don’t deserve that, to go to work and end up bloody and bruised.

“It was disgusting”

Mr Patton said he hadn’t spoken to the police members involved.

“We all too often see assaults on our members who are just going about their business and as something as mundane as requesting someone about wearing a mask,” he said.

“This is one of those occasions where the violence of an assault has been captured and it’s clear what happened.”

Cleary on the ground after he was subdued.

Cleary at one point demanded the officers let him go and continued to mutter, “I am the king”.

The violent fracas came after the two policemen apprehended a teenage boy, walking along McGennan St, and asked him why he wasn’t wearing a face mask, shortly before 4pm on October 9 last year.

Cleary suddenly pulled up in a car, walked slowly to the officers and demanded they “get your hand off him” as he pulled a baseball bat from its sheath.

But the short exchange quickly descended to chaos when the boy tried to grab Con Ringin’s gun.

After Cleary was apprehended and held to the ground, he demanded the officers let him go and continued to mutter, “I am the king”.

“Gentleman I am the king, gentleman I am the king, take your hands off me, I am the king, you are a Roman dog, this is an act of war,” he repeated while face down on the nature strip and refusing to put his hands behind his back.

A bloodied Rowan Baldman after the attack.

“I am evoking English common law. In the name of the lord Jesus Christ I command you to get off me.”

Sen Con Baldman required plastic surgery to fix a fracture to his left thumb and suffered a cut to his right temple and swelling.

Cleary pleaded guilty in the County Court on Wednesday to three charges, including affray, intentionally causing injury and assaulting an emergency worker on duty.

He faces up to 10 years jail and will be sentenced on Friday.