A 33-YEAR-OLD man who became rowdy and aggressive and shouted racist abuse at a police officer has been put on probation – after a court heard of the health problems he has been suffering.
Aaron Andrew Young was arrested in West’s Centre in the early hours of 16 December after an officer noticed a disturbance, with the defendant appearing to be in the midst of it.
“There was screaming, shouting and pushing,” legal adviser Francis Burak, prosecuting, told the Magistrate’s Court.
The court was shown body-worn-camera footage in which Young struggled against police officers who searched him, and made insulting comments to an officer of Thai heritage.
Young admitted acting in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace and behaving in a threatening or abusive way.
However, Advocate Emma Hollywood, defending, said her client deserved leniency and requested a sentence that was “anything except prison”.
She said: “Two women who were there pointed out that Mr Young had done nothing wrong. However, he does accept that he acted inappropriately.”
She added: “Everyone accepts that he had an atrocious upbringing.”
The advocate said that in 2016 he fell down a flight of stairs, hit his head and was left in a coma, and had suffered mental-health and behavioural problems ever since.
“He desperately wants to be given another chance,” Advocate Hollywood said.
Relief Magistrate Sarah Fitz agreed to impose a nine-month probation order.
