DOUGLAS Nigel Roberts will have plenty of time behind bars for the next few weeks to think about the ramifications of headbutting a female police officer in Orange Local Court last Thursday during a bail hearing over an alleged assault on his ex-partner.
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Roberts, 32, was facing court over an alleged violent domestic assault on his partner in December, maliciously damaging her phone and smashing a bathroom window when he lashed out at the female escorting officer.
His legal aid solicitor Rebecca McIlveen told the court she had received no instructions about whether Roberts would be pleading to the offences, saying she was instructed by her client to ask for bail.
Police prosecutor Andy Bobin told the court the offence of assaulting an officer was serious and he would be referring it to the Department of Public Prosecutions to deal with in the courts.
“He told her her, ‘I’m going to headbutt you’, before he did it, splitting her lip, knocking her to the ground and her glasses came off,” Sergeant Bobin said.
He told magistrate Terry Lucas the female officer sustained a cut lip and tenderness to her teeth and face and her male colleague was also assaulted, although less seriously.
After being instructed to apply for bail by her client in her submission, Ms McIlveen told the court Roberts was experiencing significant emotional turbulence and was trying to seek psychiatric help.
She said her client had possible work opportunities as a driller at the mines or a full-time job offer at John Deere.
However, Mr Lucas was not swayed by the arguments to let Roberts walk free while he waits for his case to come before the court again, and bail was refused.
