Jail sentence for threats against police

Press, 16 August 1980, Page 4

Jail sentence for threats against police

Four months imprisonment, was imposed on a man when) he appeared for sentence in] the District Court on seven' charges, including two of I threats against policemen. I The defendant, James! Brown Valepo, aged 33, a painter, had been convicted of six of the offences by; Judge McAloon after a| defended hearing earlier this month.

Five of these related to a domestic incident in which the defendant refused to leave the flat of a woman he knew, and abused her and grabbed her dress, saying he wanted to stay. When police arrived the defendant took a wooden draught-stopper, and two knives from the kitchen and advanced on the two constables in a threatening manner.

The defendant had not attempted to use the one knife which he retained, when a struggle to overpower him ensued.

A charge of assaulting the ! woman had been dismissed;

| This week, the defendant I was jailed for terms of three. i months on the two charges iof threatening the constables I with grievous bodily harm, and one month each on two charges of resisting the constables and on a charge of Trespassing on the woman’s property, and a separate charge of theft of a radio. The jail terms are concurrent, but cumulative on a one month’s term imposed on a charge of committing a breach of his periodic detention order. . v

The defendant’s counsel - (Mr M. J. Knowles) said in ’ mitigation of penalty that, the defendant’s problem was> alcohol.

An alcohol assessment centre report was submitted, and the Judge said the defendant should seek treatment, after serving his prison sentence. \ T