Shane Rhind sentenced in Bundaberg for assaulting police after twisting officer’s testicles

A former pig farm worker who urged his young children to “hurt” police while he committed his own despicable act has been sentenced in court where he claimed to be the real victim.

Father of four Shane Rhind was sentenced in Bundaberg Magistrates Court for twisting the testicles of a police officer and inciting his children to punch and bite police who were trying to restrain him.

A father of four twisted the testicles of a police officer and incited his children to punch and bite officers who were trying to restrain him, Bundaberg Magistrates Court has heard.

Details of the shocking arrest, where police were also pelted with bottle and chairs and faced with one child armed with a hammer, were read out after Shane Rhind, 41, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, obstructing police and causing a public nuisance.

Police Prosecutor Leon Casey told the court two police officers attended Rhind’s address in response to a report of a domestic disturbance.

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The court heard 41-year-old Rhind and his wife lived in Monto with their four children aged between two and 10.

On arrival, police found Rhind hosing his front veranda, but he refused to speak to them and went inside the house and locked the door.

Rhind told the court that he had a degenerative back condition which caused his legs to give way sporadically.

The court heard Rhind’s wife warned police “you can’t approach him, he’s got guns in the house”.

Concerned for the welfare of Rhind’s children, police went around to the back of the house and forced their way in through the back door, the court heard.

After restraining Rhind, police attempted to walk him out of the house when he dropped his weight, causing both officers to fall on top of him.

The court heard while the three men were on the ground, Rhind grabbed one of the officers by the testicles and twisted them, causing severe pain.

Mr Casey told the court Rhind urged his children to assault the officers, saying “smash them and hurt them” and “look what the police have done to me, they’ve punched me, they’re going to take me away”.

In response, Rhind’s children repeatedly punched, kicked and attempted to bite the police officers, and threw chairs, medicine bottles and other objects at them.

As police were walking Rhind outside towards their car, Rhind’s daughter came out of the house carrying a hammer which she used to hit the front and rear of the vehicle before she was restrained by one of the officers.

Later that afternoon, an ambulance was called to the Bundaberg police watch house to take Rhind to Bundaberg Hospital for a medical assessment, where he was belligerent to medical staff and disturbed other patients by screaming and cursing repeatedly.

Representing himself, Rhind told the court he grabbed the officer by the testicles because he had been rendered unconscious by the police officers’ attempt to restrain him.

“The reason why I grabbed him by the nuts, I got choked out cold,” Rhind said.

“That’s why my kids reacted the way they did, I tapped out … and my kids just lost it from then on in. That’s why I reached around and just grabbed for something.”

Judge John McInnes gave Rhind a 12 month suspended sentence for three counts of obstruct police officer and one count of conduct causing a public nuisance and serious assault – assault police officer.

Rhind told the court that the reason he dropped his weight in his house, and on repeated occasions when being transported from the hospital to the watchhouse, was that he had a degenerative back condition.

“I’ve been in Bundaberg Hospital before when my legs completely gave way,” he said.

“I’ve got no feeling from my legs down, I sometimes wee myself.”

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The court heard Rhind used to work on a pig farm until a recent incident when his legs gave way on the farm, and he was now mostly caring for his children at home.

In sentencing, Judge John McInnes said it was not uncommon for defendants to serve time in prison for assaulting police, but saw mitigation in Rhind’s early guilty plea and the fact that he has four young children and a clean criminal record since 2015.

Mr McInnes gave Rhind a 12-month suspended sentence for three counts of obstruct police officer and one count of conduct causing a public nuisance and serious assault – assault police officer.

Originally published as Shane Rhind sentenced in Bundaberg for assaulting police after twisting officer’s testicles