Scanner thrown in pond after abuse

Liam Carey took offence to being questioned about his car by police, so he used a scanner to swear at an officer and then threw the device into a pond, before a member of the public helped police arrest him.

Carey, 24, was sentenced in the Nelson District Court on Monday on charges of disorderly behaviour, resisting police, misusing a telecommunications device, and wilful trespass.

The court heard that Carey was at the Ta¯ hunanui Beach Reserve with two children on the afternoon of January 16 when he was approached by police who wanted to speak to him about his vehicle.

He became abusive, and yelled at the officers to keep away from his vehicle. He approached police several times in an aggressive manner, and was warned about the language he was using.

Carey stood between a policewoman and his vehicle to prevent her inspecting it. He was warned about his obstructive behaviour, and walked away with the children in an agitated state, saying he would be listening on the scanner.

He then used the scanner to transmit on the police radio channel after the officer responded to a welfare check, saying, ‘‘You are not all good, you are a b .... ’’.

Carey was located near the BMX track in Ta¯ hunanui, where he refused to comply with police instructions and threw his scanner into a pond.

As police attempted to arrest him, he struggled. He was eventually handcuffed with the assistance of a member of the public.

In explanation, Carey said he was yelling and swearing because he felt harassed by police. He did not think his scanner would transmit on the police radio system, and resisted arrest because he didn’t want his kids to see him in handcuffs.

Last December 16, Carey was seen on security footage driving out of the Tantragee Reserve, an area he had previously been trespassed from. Between then and January 27, he was caught on camera well inside the reserve on at least 12 occasions.

On all charges, Judge David Ruth fined Carey $1000.

Carey also pleaded not guilty to charges of burglary and unlawfully possessing a firearm, and elected trial by jury. He will reappear in court on May 15.