‘Kickboxing Bandido’

51yo given 100 hours community service

AN INTOXICATED 51-yearold man who told police he was a trained kickboxing member of the Bandidos bikie gang has been ordered to do 100 hours community service.

Craig Philip Long was found by the occupant of a house on Collins St, Mt Lofty, in the yard about 7.50pm on February 11, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.

When told by the woman homeowner to leave, Long called her a derogatory term and walked off to Hume St where he lay down and called an ambulance, saying he had been assaulted, police prosecutor Bettina Trenear said.

When police and ambulance paramedics arrived, the 51-year-old became abusive toward them, “claiming police stole his weed”, before taking out a can of alcohol and drinking in front of them, she said.

After a knife was found on him, and given his state, a police officer accompanied him in the ambulance to the hospital and en route Long claimed he was a member of the Bandidos and his injury had been caused by a member of the Hells Angels who had stabbed him in the neck with a syringe needle, Ms Trenear said.

At the hospital, he had become abusive toward staff and police and struggled with police taking him to the police car, telling officers he was a trained kickboxer, she said.

En route to the watch house, he also made threats against the police officers, she said.

Long had failed to appear in court on Tuesday, March 7, but was found that afternoon by police called to reports of him trespassing in a number of yards on Preston Rd, again he was found with a knife in his shorts, the court heard.

Long spent the night in custody before appearing via video link from the watch house to plead guilty in court on Wednesday to those charges and to being at the Royal Hotel, Ruthven St, in breach of a bail condition imposed in February.

Duty solicitor Phil Stainton told the court his client was adversely affected by drugs and alcohol during the first series of offences. His client had worked on the oil rigs for 12 years until he suffered a back injury after which his life spiralled into drug and alcohol abuse, he said.

Mr Stainton said Long had a significant SPER debt already and submitted he be ordered to do community service.

In total Long pleaded guilty to being drunk in a public place, conduct causing a public nuisance, trespass, possession of a knife in a public place and obstructing police.

Magistrate Kay Phillipson agreed and ordered Long to do 100 hours community service within 12 months.