Why I hit out at cop
AN ENGINEER left a police officer with scratches to their face when he lashed out at the cop who’d been called to a reported domestic violence situation.
Aleksander Bachorski claimed he did so because he had been hit on the head and had a fear of police after escaping communist Poland in his youth.
The 48-year-old pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday to assaulting police and obstructing police.
Magistrate Kerry Magee fined Bachorski $1500 and ordered he pay the officer $600 in compensation. No conviction was recorded. The compensation included money to replace the officer’s glasses which were broken in the scuffle.
Magistrate Magee was given photographs of the officers’ injuries to have a look at.
“There were certainly significant scratch marks to the face and hands of (the officer) and there was light bruising three days after the incident.”
The court was told police were called to Bachorski’s Carrara home on July 31 after reports of a domestic violence offence. When he opened the door, police asked to come in and a scuffle broke out.
Bachorski pushed one of the officers in the chest before grabbing their arm and digging his nails in.
The officer was scratched to the face and hands.
Bachorski (right), who represented himself in court, said he grew up in communist Poland where people would often be beaten or disappear when police knocked on their door.
“Any aggression, it goes back to my childhood where police meant fear,” he said.
Bachorski said he had been hit in the head during the incident.
“What happened on the night was a reflex reaction of having been struck on the side of my head,” he said.
The mining engineer and biomedical engineer also apologised for his actions.
“I take full responsibility for what happened,” he said. I express my deep and sincere regret.
“It was not my intent to see anyone’s safety compromised by my actions.
Outside of court, Bachorski said: “I apologised in court to the police officers for my actions which I think is entirely appropriate.”