A MAN who told police he was putting washing on the line and then fled to a neighbouring backyard has been sentenced to 28 days behind bars.
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Benjamin Roberts, 29, pleaded guilty to escaping police custody, common assault and contravening an AVO at Armidale Local Court on Monday.
She didn't really mean it, she's just pregnant and hormonal.
- Benjamin Roberts
Police attended the Blue Sapphire Caravan Park in Glen Innes on January 31 with a warrant and told Roberts’ he was under arrest.
The accused told police he wasn’t going to run away, before asking if he could put some wet clothes on the line.
Roberts then ran from police across some paddocks before he was arrested near dog cages in a neighbouring backyard.
Magistrate Michael Holmes told Roberts, who appeared on audio visual link from Cessnock Maximum Security Centre, to listen carefully.
“Police have got a complicated enough job without having to start running after their clientele,” Magistrate Holmes said.
Roberts suffers from aspergers and autism, the court heard.
Worried the AVO would prevent him from seeing his partner, Roberts told the court she was just scared she couldn’t control him anymore.
“She didn’t really mean it, she’s just pregnant and hormonal,” he said.
“I’d never hurt her, I never would.”
Three days earlier, officers in Glen Innes attended the caravan park after Roberts’ partner reported she had been a victim of domestic violence.
The pair were lying in bed when the victim tried to get up and leave, Roberts put his hands on her chin, got close to her face and said “You have to listen to what I have to say.”
Later they started arguing about financial issues, Roberts put the victim’s legs over his shoulder, stood up and swung her around 10 to 15 times.
Roberts was sentenced to 28 days in prison, backdated to January 31 for escaping police.
For the domestic violence matters he was put on a good behaviour bond for two years.