Magistrate Mark Stratmann has warned an 18-year-old Ballarat man against further offending after he pleaded guilty to criminal charges accrued after a drunken night out.
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Lachlan Marshall pleaded guilty to five charges in the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court yesterday including criminal damage and has been barred from entering licensed venues in Ballarat for 12 months.
Marshall was charged with the offences after he had to be forcefully removed from The George Hotel in Ballarat in October this year.
The court heard Marshall tried to gain entry to the pub but was refused by security for not meeting the dress code standards of the venue.
In a drunken and agitated state, Marshall threatened to break jaw of the security guard before being asked to leave the venue.
Marshall then entered the lane bar area of the venue, prompting the security guard to call for assistance.
The guards asked Marshall to leave the venue a second time and he responded by again threatening to break the jaw of the other security guard.
At this point the security guards physically restrained and ejected Marshall from the pub.
Shortly after this, Marshall began aggressively kicking the gate to the venue, breaking the perspex guard by pushing his foot and leg through the broken plastic.
The security guards held Marshall’s leg held in place until police arrived and he was taken into custody.
As he was being escorted to the police divisional van and from the van to the police station, Marshall threatened a member of the police force by saying “I know where you live” and “I know where your kids go to school”.
Police interviewed Marshall about five hours after his arrest where Marshall made admissions and co-operated with police.
During the court hearing Marshall apologised for his behaviour and said he deeply regrets his actions.
“I realise I am not a kid anymore and that I'm not treated as a kid anymore; I want to have a future and don’t want to come to court and have convictions on my record,” he said.
Magistrate Stratmann said young men needed to be more of aware of how their decisions affect others.
“When this happens it’s not just about you, it’about everyone who wants to go out and enjoy themselves who have their night spoiled by you,” he said.
“Every time you get plastered and go out and behave like this you frighten everybody else.
“At 18, you are getting so inebriated you can't control yourself you need to understand have an issue and you need to do something about it.”
As well as the exclusion order, Marshall was convicted and fined $1300 and he will pay $125 in damages to replace the George Hotel's perspex gate guard.
The magistrate declined a request from Victoria Police for a forensic order to keep a sample of Marshall’s DNA on file.