AN “unusual” incident at Mickey Mouse Hill involving two women and a former undercover security guard has ended with an almost equally unusual punishment – a $100 donation to Righteous Pups.
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A Bendigo man in his early 20s appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates’ Court last week charged with impersonating a police officer after an incident on Pethard Place, Bendigo, in the early hours of January 28.
Prosecutor Sergeant David Somerton said two women were sitting in their car at the popular lookout at 2.30am with their windows down.
The man approached the car and knocked on the window, “startling” the women. He told them he was a police officer.
When asked for identification, the man held up a cigarette packet and asked the women to step out of the car. The court heard he previously held a licence as an undercover security guard.
When they refused, he attempted to seize the keys and made three attempts to open the door, causing the women to wind up the windows and lock the doors.
He told the women he believed they were “smoking weed” and that he “didn’t want to see them addicted to weed”.
He spoke on his phone for almost half an hour – allegedly to police – while trying to open the bonnet of the car searching for “bombs”, alcohol and other items.
Police arrived at 3am and issued a caution to the man, but were later compelled to press charges.
The man represented himself in court and attempted to plead “not guilty” to impersonating a police officer, denying some of the allegations, but the case was placed on diversion and no plea was taken.
Magistrate Patrick Southey said it was an “unusual” case, which was likely to have been concerning for the women involved.
“It appears that he was well-motivated in trying to help them do the right thing,” he said.
“But he should just let the police do their job.”
The case was adjourned for 12 months and he was asked to make a $100 donation to Righteous Pups – his charity of choice – for the court’s troubles.