A MAN who assaulted a police custody officer in Bendigo has pleaded guilty.
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Adam Gaylard appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Thursday. He admitted to charges including assaulting an emergency services worker and resisting an emergency services worker.
The court heard he last month attended the home of a person protected under an intervention order served against him.
In doing so, he also breached the COVID-19 stay at home directions of Victoria's chief health officer.
Gaylard was arrested that day and faced an out-of-sessions bail hearing.
The court heard he screamed verbal abuse at the bail justice when he was denied bail.
When custody officers returned him to the holding cell, Gaylard tried to headbutt one of them.
The court was told he did not comply with instructions to put his hands behind his back and a tussle broke out, in which one of the custody officers was injured.
This officer sustained a fractured rib, a possible fracture to another rib, and blood exposure.
Police also found a ziplock bag containing a crystal substance in Gaylard's wallet.
Defence lawyer Natalie Perera told the court while Gaylard agreed to the summary of facts, there was no medical evidence to prove the custody officer had sustained a fractured rib.
Ms Perera told the court Gaylard had already spent 28 days in custody, including many days in isolation due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The defence lawyer submitted the Magistrate should consider sentencing Gaylard to a community corrections order, with the 28 days reckoned as already served.
But Magistrate Sharon McRae said the 28 days in custody was not a long enough prison sentence if Gaylard had fractured a custody officer's rib.
Magistrate McRae said the charges were serious and she would not release him on a community corrections order.
The Magistrate ordered Gaylard to undergo a justice report assessment.
He will return to Bendigo Magistrates' Court next month for sentencing.
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