Threat to fight cops

A WARWICK man, who threatened to “punch on” with the police before a fierce struggle with officers detached his artificial leg, has been handed a jail sentence over his bizarre interactions with police.

Paul Earl Tipler pleaded not guilty to six charges at the beginning of his hearing in Warwick Magistrates Court over a string of run-ins with the law on May 18 last year.

Bodycam footage played to the court that did not physically show Tipler, but captured his voice telling an officer who tried to intercept him for speeding near Willowvale, “I know you are, it’s not legal. It’s not f---ing legal, you’re not f---ing legal, I’m not pulling over”.

Yangan Senior Constable Aaron Green said he briefly lost track of the 47-year-old’s car before tracking it through radio communications to an Aspinall St home, where he and several other officers told the Warwick man he was under arrest for evading police.

More bodycam footage was played to the court, showing Tipler agitatedly pointing at police while telling them they were “illegal” and he would have them charged with trespassing.

The video captured Tipler warning he was about to start “punching on” before he was taken to the ground by police, with Tipler thrashing and struggling to the point his artificial leg came off.

Tipler was self-represented and also the only witness for the defence.

He told the Warwick court “everything about (the police) is a business” and “they’re running under illegal ABN numbers and shouldn’t be”.

Tipler argued he only threatened to “box on” with police at the Aspinall St home because he was unwell and wary of Covid, and officers ignored his request to keep their 1.5m social distancing.

Magistrate Julian Noud commended Tipler for his polite conduct throughout the hearing, but said his “inflammatory and illogical statements” about the police service undermined any credibility as a witness.

Mr Noud found Tipler guilty of obstructing police, disqualified driving, speeding, and failure to comply with a direction to stop.

The Warwick man then pleaded guilty of his own accord to charges from his matter in Warwick Magistrates Court on October 12, 2020 being illegally filmed and then posted to his Facebook account. He was sentenced to 12 months’ jail with immediate parole, fined $1575, and disqualified from driving for four years.