A POLICE officer had a nervous wait for blood test results after a drunken man at the Avoca Cup lashed out and started spitting at police, a court has heard.
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William George Lawless, 27, assaulted five police officers and attempted to head butt one of them during the violent incident on the afternoon of October 20 last year.
Yesterday Lawless appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to being drunk in a public place and five counts of assault police.
The court heard Lawless’ behaviour had offended other punters when police were brought in to intervene.
Police prosecutor Acting Sergeant Ivan Blomeley said that when the Mitchell Park man was asked to leave he crushed a can and squirted its contents at a police sergeant, before punching and kicking out at officers when they tried to apprehend him.
He was eventually subdued using capsicum spray. Acting Sergeant Blomeley said one of the officers had two weeks off work while awaiting blood tests results, taken following the spitting tirade.
Defence lawyer Brett Bryant said Lawless couldn’t remember a thing from the incident. Lawless was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order including 200 hours of unpaid community work.