AN 88-YEAR-OLD Warracknabeal man drove in the middle of the road before assaulting a police officer, a court has heard.
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Henry Richardson Hobson faced Horsham Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on five charges.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Matt Haughton said on May 1, Hobson was driving on Rainbow Road, near Warracknabeal, across two lanes.
Defence lawyer Rita Baron said Hobson had vision issues and chose to drive slowly in the middle of the road so he would have plenty of room.
She said Hobson would have moved to one side if another vehicle approached.
She said it was not clear if he would have seen or heard another vehicle coming.
Senior Constable Haughton said police stopped Hobson’s vehicle as the car’s lights were obstructed.
The officer discovered Hobson had been disqualified from driving on medical grounds, and the vehicle was unroadworthy, with bald tyres.
Mr Haughton said Hobson became aggressive and swung punches at the officer, before resisting arrest.
Hobson told police he knew his driver’s licence was disqualified but decided to drive because he believed it shouldn’t have been taken away.
Hobson said he assaulted the officer because he annoyed him. The court heard Hobson had held a driver’s licence since he was 18 years old, with no infringements.
Hobson’s licence was suspended in February, 2014, pending medical review, and disqualified when it expired during the suspension period.
The defence agreed Hobson should not have been driving at the time.
Ms Baron said Hobson wanted to transport his possessions from his farm to his new house at Warracknabeal. She said he was deaf and he often shouted instead of talking.
“He does get frustrated when he can’t get across what he wants to say,” he said.
“He was extremely unhappy to leave the farm.
“He wanted to remain there until he died.”
Magistrate Mark Stratmann denied the defence’s attempt to have some matters dismissed based on Hobson’s clean record.
He said he understood the frustrations Hobson faced losing his independence but it did not excuse his behaviour.
Hobson was placed on a good behaviour order until January 10, 2017 and was ordered to donate $400 to the court charity fund.
