Man released on parole over assaults, damage

A MAN with a history of showing a lack of respect for authority has been released from jail on parole.

Matthew Simeon Cavies appeared before Toowoomba District Court to plead guilty to two counts of serious assault of police officers as well as 29 lesser offences including assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage of police property and nine counts of obstructing police.

Crown prosecutor Jodie Goldie told the court the 32-year-old had a history of like offending including two previous convictions of serious assault of police, two of assault occasioning bodily harm including punching a pub bouncer in the face, and four previous counts of obstructing police.

Cavies had been arrested in Toowoomba on August 7 but became agitated and kicked out from the back seat of the police vehicle en route to the watch house.

Told to settle down, Cavies kicked out at an officer striking him in the chest before punching him in the face, breaking the policeman’s sunglasses, Ms Goldie said.

Five hours later he had started banging on his cell door until a policeman approached only for Cavies to punch him in the face, leaving him bleeding with a split lip, the court heard.

Cavies’ barrister Frank Martin told the court his client had schizophrenia and he developed a low tolerance for authority when he drank alcohol or took drugs.

However, his client was prepared to go into rehabilitation and would live with his mother in Ipswich, Mr Martin said.

Judge Deborah Richards noted Cavies had already spent four months in pre-sentence custody.

“You have a long history of mental health issues including schizophrenia which is difficult to control when you are taking illegal drugs,” she told him.

Judge Richards declared the 127 days pre-sentence custody as time served under the penalty and sentenced Cavies to 18 months in jail but ordered he be released immediately on parole.