'Show them respect': Man throws bloody pants at cop's face

He was found laying on the ground after being bitten by a dog.

A man has fronted court after throwing a bloody pair of pants at a police officer. Picture: File

A MAN who threw a bloody pair of pants at a police officer while at the Bowen Police Station has received a suspended jail sentence.

The 40-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty in Bowen Magistrates Court to assaulting a police officer, committing public nuisance, contravention of a domestic violence order and two failures to appear at court.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors told the court police found the man lying on the ground drunk and with blood on his legs after his dog had bitten him, when they were called to a disturbance at a Bowen home on June 23 at 2.10am.

The court heard he had been having a fight with his son.

A domestic violence order prevents the man being at the house when he is drunk, Sgt Myors said.

The court heard when the man was taken to Bowen Hospital to be treated, he was verbally abusive to police.

He was later told to leave by hospital staff for being verbally abusive, Sgt Myors said.

When police got the man back to the Bowen watch house he changed his pants, throwing the other pair, which had blood on them, at a police officer, hitting him in the face, Sgt Myors said.

The court was also told he missed two court appearances - one because he told police he had "mixed up the dates" and another time because he was at sea as a fisherman and thought his solicitor could appear for him.

Solicitor Cleo Rewald said her client accepted that "his behaviour becomes poor when affected by alcohol".

She said the man had fallen and cracked his head open when he was bitten by his dog.

She also told the court the man had a "particular dislike" for one police officer and most of his aggression that day was directed at that officer.

That officer was also the one the man threw the bloody pants at.

"He didn't intend to hit the officer with the pants... he just kicked off the pants and hit the officer," Mrs Rewald said.

The court was also told the man had spent 42 days in prison in pre-sentence custody.

The man was sentenced to a total of three months and 14 days' prison for the charges.

The 42 days in custody already counted towards the sentence.

Magistrate James Morton, however, ruled the man be released from prison the day he faced court, and that the remainder of his sentence be suspended for 12 months.

While sentencing the man, Mr Morton told him to behave better towards the officer he threw the pants at.

"There's a police officer you don't like. You have to wear that," Mr Morton said.

"They have to do their job. Show them respect."

Originally published as 'Show them respect': Man throws bloody pants at cop's face