Drunk and shirtless, he KO’d a policeman, now prison awaits
A PERSONAL trainer who knocked out a police officer with a single punch following a boozy brawl in Surfers Paradise has been jailed.
Riley Joseph Maea was evicted from Shooters on December 12 last year, then joined in a brawl outside the nightclub.
Constable Craig Morris approached a topless Maea to arrest him but was pushed by another man and subsequently drew his capsicum spray.
Maea punched him in the side of the face, causing him to fall to the ground and hit his head on the concrete.
The drunken West Australian man continued to struggle with three police officers while Constable Morris lay motionless on the ground.
In the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday, the 23year-old pleaded guilty to charges of serious assault of a police officer, causing a public nuisance and obstructing police.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Damian Summerfield said Constable Morris was unconscious for three to four minutes and was taken to hospital with
An assault upon a police officer is an assault on civil authority
TERRY GARDINER
grazing to the back of his head.
Sgt Summerfield said a strong sentence was necessary as a deterrent, as the police officer was simply doing his job.
“There was a large, violent fight taking place where the police were tasked to intervene and bring safety to the community,” he said.
“The defendant is very lucky the officer wasn’t further injured.”
Solicitor Erin Ahearn from Potts Lawyers said her client was drunk at the time and the assault was not premeditated.
“His high level of intoxication, confirmed by the breath analysis, has obviously played some part in this offence that is largely out of character for a gentleman who had utmost respect for the police,” she said.
She said he simply reacted to being sprayed with the capsicum spray and had since struggled to come to terms with the assault.
Deputy chief magistrate Terry Gardiner said police duties were often dangerous.
“An assault upon a police officer is an assault on civil authority,” he said. “The court will not tolerate that.”
He said because of the serious features of the case Maea would be required to serve actual time in custody.
Maea was sentenced to nine months’ imprisonment but will serve less than two months behind bars, with parole release on September 1.
He was also ordered to perform 40 hours of community service and pay $1000 in compensation to the officer.