Man soils himself after being tasered by police

A DRIVER who assaulted a police officer at the side of the road was punched and tasered but that was just the start of his problems.

BEING tasered by a cop was just the start of this man's problems. Picture: AAP

A MAN who admitted assaulting a police officer on duty had received summary justice at the scene before fronting Toowoomba District Court.

Stephen John Qualischefski, 39, had been driving with his wife near Valeview on November 18, 2015, when their car was stopped by police directing traffic around a fatal vehicle accident on the road.

Crown prosecutor Elizabeth Kelso told the court a police officer directing traffic had approached Qualischefski's car and asked his name.

Forming a concern that the driver was about to drive off, the officer reached into the car to take the keys from the ignition only for Qualischefski to grab his hand and pull him by the arm into the car, causing the officer to strike his head on the door, the court heard.

Defence barrister David Jones told the court after his client had alighted from the car he had been punched by a police officer and tasered twice which had caused him to "soil himself".

His client had then fallen to the ground fracturing a rib, he said.

Mr Jones said it was accepted police acted appropriately but if it wasn't for his client's criminal history he would have only received a fine.

The court heard Qualischefski's criminal history included previous assaults including the assault of a police dog arising from his being chased from the scene of a burglary and bitten by the dog.

Mr Jones said his client had had a drug problem in the past but had not offended since 2010 and had turned his life around and was now in gainful employment.

His client and his partner had been in an emotional state that day after just learning that his mother-in-law, with whom he was close, had just been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

For a charge of serious assault on a police officer, this incident was at the lower end of the scale, he submitted.

Judge Brendan Butler SC agreed with Mr Jones but warned the defendant to respect police.

"It's very important police be able to go about their duty without being assaulted," he said.

He sentenced Qualischefski to three months in jail but suspended the term in full for 12 months.
 

Originally published as Man soils himself after being tasered by police