A Ballarat man who grabbed a woman between her legs told police “it’s there you gotta grab it”, a court has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday heard Christopher Condon laughed as police put the allegations of the sexually-related assault to him during an interview earlier this year.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sam Young said police were called to a Webster Street apartment complex after a woman called claiming Condon had reached under her night dress during a commotion in the apartment’s common room.
The court heard Condon told her “I’ll do what I like, I’ll get away with it”, before grabbing her buttocks as she walked off.
During an interview he said he had been drinking quite a substantial amount of alcohol and while he can’t remember lifting her dress, it was something he would do.
He also said the victim, who was his neighbour at the time, annoyed him because she owned him money.
Nine days earlier Condon caused more commotion at the apartment complex after he sprayed the building’s hallway with a fire extinguisher.
He had again been drinking and told police he did not realise the extinguisher would make such a mess.
In February he was also charged after headbutting a police officer who was attempting to remove Condon’s handcuffs.
Condon was in police custody for being drunk and was about to be placed in the cells to sober up when he told the officer “you treat me like s**t, this is what you get” and headbutted him.
He later said it was “not the best decision I’ve made”.
Condon’s lawyer said her client had significant issues, including suffering from anxiety, ADHD and alcoholism, which had plagued him since his teenage years.
She said Condon was prevented from engaging with other students during school which led to his serious social issues.
She added Condon self-medicated his anxiety with alcohol, which played a prominent role in his offending.
Making sentencing submissions to the court, she said a community corrections order would provide her client with more structure and the counselling he needed.
Magistrate Frank Jones adjourned sentencing until December 9 so a pre-sentence report is completed.