Brawler gave odd excuses for knife, ice

TRISTAN Douglas Mailman rattled off a suite of colourful excuses when he was stopped by police after brawling in the street, but none of them prevented his eventual arrest.

On Tuesday, the Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard police were called to reports of two men exchanging blows at the corner of Long St and Bashford St, about 9am on October 12.

They located Mailman, 39, a short distance from the fight and asked why there was skin missing from his knuckles.

Police prosecutor Narelle Lowe said Mailman responded that he had grazed his knuckles in a fall and not during a punch-up, despite him matching a description of one of the brawlers, offered by several witnesses.

“Police searched his bag and found a knife, with a long, silver-coloured blade with a sharpened edge,” she said.

“(Mailman) stated that he assumed because he was an electrician he could have it, before going on to say he had not come from, nor was going to work and that he was currently unemployed.”

The court also heard police located a vial containing methamphetamine crystals that Mailman tried to pass off as a snack.

“He said it was salt that he put on his pork crackle and when he cannot afford pork crackle, he eats the salt by itself,” Ms Lowe said.

Mailman told police the vial was purchased from a sex shop and contained a performance enhancing substance that ensured longer lasting romantic interludes.

By way of a defence, Mailman’s solicitor Joe Millican said the fight started as a bit of fun between mates, but soon escalated.

He added that the knife was in fact a cutthroat razor and that Mailman was homeless at the time, so was carrying a range of personal care products in his bag.

Mailman pleaded guilty to one count each of public nuisance, possessing knife and possessing dangerous drugs.

Magistrate Graham Lee fined him $900.