A TENTERFIELD man will remain in a Goulburn jail until at least November after he was convicted of assaulting police officers in a “psychotic episode”.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Harlem Crew, 30, who also goes by the name Scott Sunderland, pleaded guilty to assaulting two Tenterfield senior constables last year.
On October 26, Crew went to the police station for help when he began behaving erratically and attacked the officers, the court heard.
His lawyer said Crew became uncontrollable and was taken to hospital following the incident.
“The irony of the charges is he went there for help."
- Harlem Crew's lawyer
“He attended the police station because he was having a psychotic episode but could not be controlled by the police or ambulance officers.”
She said Crew still had unresolved mental health issues including anxiety and hallucinations, and was receiving treatment from prison services.
On an earlier occasion the defence had indicated they were considering making an application for the case to be dealt with under the Mental Health Act.
However Crew’s defence said although he had been mentally ill at the time of the attack, he preferred to have the matter resolved quickly.
Crew appeared in Armidale Local Court last week via audio-visual link from Goulburn Correctional Centre.
The 30-year-old pleaded guilty to using offensive language, behaving in an offensive manner, two counts of assaulting an officer in the execution of duty and two charges of resisting arrest.
Crew was sentenced to a minimum of fourth month’s jail and will be eligible for parole on November 26.
