Cooloongup man pleads guilty to charges after attempting to ‘bite’ and ‘headbutt’ officers

A 55-year-old man has been sentenced over a bizarre altercation in which his neighbours allegedly attempted to steal his plants, resulting in the man resisting arrest and attempting to bite and headbutt police.

Paul Richard Grant, of Cooloongup, appeared before Rockingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday, charged with one count of obstructing public officers.

Prosecutor Sgt Naomi Foster told the court on January 2, 2022 at 10.46pm police had been called to the home of Grant following reports of a disturbance.

On arrival police were able to locate a heavily intoxicated Grant at the front of his home, where he was physically restrained after having resisted arrest.

Grant was then forcibly put into the back of the police security pod.

Police became concerned over Grant’s welfare and as a result an ambulance was called and he was removed from the pod and placed into the recovery position.

Grant then reacted violently towards police and again police had to be held down and handcuffed.

Police then attempted to put Grant back in the security pod, however Grant continued to resist attempting to headbutt one officer and tried to bite another officer.

The police managed to forcibly put Grant into the back of the police security pod once again.

The accused’s lawyer, Sharon Auburn, said Grant was “deeply ashamed at his behaviour on that day.”

Ms Auburn said that Grant “rarely drank” alcohol, but that he had consumed an entire ‘shotbucket’, which contained 36 shots.

Grant was “very upset” because the neighbouring fence had fallen over and “he had seen that the neighbours had taken all of his plants on his side and put them on them onto their side.”

Ms Auburn said “he was unable to control his anger” and “wasn’t in his right state of mind at all... and regrets his behaviour.”

Grant was fined $1000 and ordered to pay $134.50 in court costs.