By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A MAN has lashed out at police at court after being jailed for repeatedly driving without a court-ordered alcohol interlock device.
Vincent Jean-Paul Manuel repeatedly yelled expletives and struggled with three police officers as he was escorted to cells after the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court hearing on Monday.
During the violent scuffle, walls were thumped outside the courtroom exit as he was forced to ground by officers.
“Get f ****** off me, c**** ,” Manuel screamed during the struggle.
Manuel had pleaded guilty to a range of charges, including drug-driving with ice and cannabis, and driving without an interlock six times in Doveton in September, March, April and May.
Each interlock offence was punishable with up to four months’ jail.
He had been serving a community corrections order at the time for driving without an interlock in 2013.
During one of the detected breaches, Manuel claimed he had removed the interlock because of a battery issue, police prosecutor Senior Constable Fiona Davis told the court.
He had also resisted arrest in a Rowville backyard in February over false number plates affixed to his black Clubsport Commodore – one of several charges involving false plates.
Manuel told police at the time to “get f*****”, that he’d done nothing wrong as he refused to put his hands behind his back, the court was told.
He was subdued with OC spray after he lunged aggressively at a police officer.
Manuel was also charged with possessing ice, several counts of driving an unregistered vehicle and failing to answer bail.
Defence lawyer Rachel Hopkins told the court Manuel suffered post-traumatic stress and memory loss from being stabbed in the head in 2007, as well as injuries from a car crash.
She said Manuel had completed seven of the required 40 hours of unpaid work as part of his existing community-based order.
The order didn’t address his underlying drug and mental health issues, Ms Hopkins said.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said he wouldn’t place Manuel on another community corrections order because “he’s not going to comply”.
“You’ve got such repetitive (offending) behaviour, there’s no alternative for a court but to impose a term of imprisonment.”
Manuel was jailed for two months, disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined $1500.
Hours after his sentence, Manuel appealed but was refused appeal bail by Mr Vandersteen.
The magistrate said appeal bail was normally granted but took into account Manuel’s disobedient history as well as his “appalling” behaviour to police that morning.
“You’re simply an unacceptable risk of re-offending.”
Defence lawyer Rachel Hopkins said her client claimed he was “handled badly” by the officers and “responded to the treatment he received”.
Manuel was remanded in custody to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 31 August.
His County Court appeal was scheduled for October.
