Andrew John Harding faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for threatening to kill motorist

A court has been told alcoholism was to blame for a man’s threats to kill a motorist during a road rage incident that ended with him spiting blood and saliva at police.

Andrew John Harding was sentenced in Toowoomba Magistrates Court for multiple violent outbursts. Picture: Kevin Farmer

A man who repeatedly spat blood and saliva at police has been spared serving actual time in custody after he promised to address his alcoholism.

On Monday, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told Andrew John Harding was arrested twice by police for violent outbursts.

The first occurred about 6.15pm on March 29 where the Toowoomba man abused a fellow motorist near the intersection of Stenner and Ruthven streets.

Police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb told the court that Harding yelled profanity out of his window before he exited his vehicle and approached the victim’s driver-side door.

“The defendant stood on the road and screamed at the victim, screaming that he would be a dead man,” he said.

“He has then grabbed the door handle of the car, telling him to unlock the doors so he could flog him.”

Luckily the traffic lights turned green and the victim drove away.

The defendant was later questioned by police, with Mr Brewster-Webb saying Harding told police he blacks out when angry.

About two weeks later, on April 15, police were called to a disturbance at a Toowoomba address and arrived to find a woman in distress.

“Police gave the defendant a direction to open the door, but he stalled and started swearing at the officers,” Mr Brewster Webb said.

The court heard that the police forced entry to the home, whereupon Harding spat on the officers, while yelling and swearing.

He was restrained and transferred to a police vehicle where he attempted to kick out a door.

Mr Brewster-Webb told the court that while at the watch-house Harding continued to spit blood at police and on walls of his cell.

The court heard that when the defendant sobered up he sent letters of apology to the police and that he is now getting help for his alcoholism.

Harding was charged with eight offences including serious assaulting police by spitting, wilful damage of police property, to which he pleaded guilty to on Monday.

After noting Harding had nine pages of criminal history, including several entries for violence, acting magistrate Kay Ryan ordered a sentence of 15 months in jail with immediate parole.