A BALLARAT man arrested for drunkenness tried to headbutt a police officer in the cells, a court has heard.
But Christopher North, 44, told the Ballarat Magistrates Court he was assaulted by police during his arrest, calling out "they could have just sprayed me".
North appeared yesterday where he pleaded guilty to assaulting police on duty and possessing a dangerous article in a public place.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Bob Anderson told the court that on January 25 this year, North was arrested for drunkenness in Warragul and taken back to the local police station where he was placed in the cells.
Sergeant Anderson said North was aggressive towards an officer when he was locked up.
The court heard that after about an hour of being in the cells, police responded to yelling and banging on the cell door.
When it was opened, North "immediately moved toward them".
Sergeant Anderson said two police a sergeant and a constable asked North to move back before the sergeant pushed him away to create space.
The court heard North continued to be unco-operative and tried to head-butt the sergeant, before he was subdued.
Defence lawyer Tim Tyler said his client had been drinking alcohol on the day in question, where it "all went very bad in the police cells".
"On that day he was without his medication," he said. "A combination of lack of medication and alcohol has led to this trouble."
North spoke up during the hearing, saying that after the arrest he was taken to hospital where he "nearly died".
When they assaulted me, they split my eye that's why I was banging on the door," he said.
"It wasn't necessary they could have just sprayed me."
The possessing a dangerous article charge related to a separate incident where a pair of sewing scissors was found on North while being checked by police in Delacombe in February.
Magistrate Frank Jones fined North $500.
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