Toowoomba man tasered, fined for simply not giving police his name

The Toowoomba man has paid a big price for failing to provide his name to police.

The man was tasered after repeatedly refusing to provide his name to police.

A 27-YEAR-OLD man who stubbornly refused to give his name to police ended up being tasered in a busy Toowoomba shopping centre and then handed a sizeable fine by a court.

A police foot patrol had seen Troy Warren Bloomfield outside a store in Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre about 2.10pm, November 6, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

Believing him to be a person wanted on an arrest warrant, one of the two officers asked the 27-year-old his name, police prosecutor Rowan Brewster-Webb told the court.

Instead of simply providing his name, Bloomfield had entered into a tirade of abuse at police, telling them “F*** off ****s, I’ve done nothing wrong”, he said.

Asked again for his name, Bloomfield had told the officers he was “John Larcombe” and went to walk away but was stopped by the officers.

A struggle ensued during which police warned a number of times that if he didn’t stop struggling and comply, Bloomfield would be tasered.

Eventually, one officer deployed his taser, striking Bloomfield in the arm and lower torso, Mr Brewster-Webb said.

A pat-down search by police found a debit card on which Bloomfield’s name was displayed, he said.

Bloomfield pleaded guilty to public nuisance, obstructing police and contravening a police direction arising from that incident and to an unrelated matter of possessing a pipe for smoking drugs on September 20.

His solicitor Phil Stainton told the court his client was not the person who the police were looking for but he conceded he simply should have provided his name and none of this would have happened.

“On the day he reacted badly and it snowballed,” Mr Stainton said.

Magistrate Kay Ryan told Bloomfield he simply should have complied with police.

“If you simply complied with their requirements none of this would have happened including that you were tasered,” she said.

Ms Ryan convicted and fined Bloomfield $800.