A man who assaulted a police officer after police offered him a lift home was sentenced in Orange Local Court on Monday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Magdi Hamdin, 24, of Cabramatta Road, Cabramatta, was represented by solicitor Mason Manwaring when he faced two charges including assaulting an on-duty police officer and behaving in an offensive manner in public.
Hamdin was fined $600 for assault and $400 for offensive behaviour.
“My client and his brother were in Orange celebrating and they had too much to drink,” Mr Manwaring said.
“As brothers sometimes do, and I don’t mean to trivialise it, but they got into an altercation and police were called.”
According to police facts, police were called to the Mitchell Highway near McNamara Street, following a report of two men fighting on the highway on April 15.
When police arrived about 11pm, they guided the men out of the way of traffic onto the footpath then separated them.
Police said Hamdin’s brother was co-operative and told them he had been trying to direct his brother home because he believed he was too drunk to get into a pub.
Although both men were described as drunk in the police report, the brother claimed responsibility for Hamdin.
When police offered to take both men home the brother also accepted “with gratitude”.
However, Hamdin who was being spoken to by other police officers, became more aggressive.
The facts said he suddenly became aggressive shouting at his brother and attempted to push past police, who placed themselves between the two brothers.
Police said Hamdin then turned his attention to the officers and started shouting at them, swearing and calling them “dogs”.
When one officer placed their hand on his arm, Hamdin turned quickly and struck the officer’s hand causing it to bleed so Hamdin was wrestled to the ground and arrested.
“Police should not have had to have heard that or seen what he did,” Mr Manwaring said.
Magistrate Terry Lucas also reprimanded Hamdin for swearing at police when they were trying to give him a lift home.
“I’m sorry you got in a blue with your brother and police were called and you had too much to drink,” Mr Lucas said.
“I suggest you don’t drink that much anymore.”