A man has been jailed after viciously bashing an unconscious man before dunking his head in a toilet in the cells of Ballarat police station.
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Connor Keating was on Tuesday sentenced in the Ballarat County Court to 18 months behind bars following the attack at the Dana Street station on April 9 last year.
The court was told Keating had been on remand over a fight at Bridge Mall when he started to argue with the victim about who would eat food after officers served lunch.
Security camera vision played to the court showed the two men beginning to punch each other before the victim fell backwards and hit his head on a bench, knocking him unconscious.
But Keating did not stop when the man lay motionless on the ground.
The 19-year-old hung his head in the dock yesterday as footage of the bashing continued for almost four minutes, showing him repeatedly stomping, kicking and punching the “defenceless” victim in the cell as a third prisoner watched on.
Keating eventually dragged the victim to the cell’s toilet and forced his head into the bowl.
He then helped him onto a bench and placed an arm around him as custody officers arrived.
The court heard Keating “blacked out” during the attack and was sexually abused as a child, has an intellectual disability and also suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
In sentencing, Judge Liz Gaynor said she accepted Keating was remorseful and had a difficult upbringing.
However, Judge Gaynor also said his violent offending placed the community at risk.
Keating will be eligible for parole in 12 months.