18 October 2005

Canberra man swears acceptably in Sydney

| Kerces
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Canberra man Rufus Richardson was arrested for swearing at police officers in Sydney but has had his case thrown out.

He was charged with offensive behaviour after swearing drunkenly at a police officer outside the Orient Hotel in The Rocks in Sydney.

However Magistrate Pat O’Shane threw out the case, saying foul language “was to be expected on George Street at that time of night”.

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Slapp_monkey5:07 pm 20 Oct 05

Hi Thumper,

Yes you did say that an on the spot fine was an idea. As anyone can read if they follow the thread. I was looking to address the point you made earlier and thought it atleast reasonable to give a point of reference. I was addressing the question you asked about police being different and any possible outcomes of this.

The fact that he is a Canberran says something. NSW police do not take shit! Canberra citzens get away with too much and this fella was too drunk to realise this. I have heard comments from police like “If Sydney crooks realize how badly Canberra is policed they would come and steal the whole city” I dont blame the Canberra police, I do however blame thier budget and lack of resources.

Don’t forget the phone book!

Bring back the truncheon…

Magistrate O’Shane has done this before, a couple of years ago I think and the same bunch of whiny lickspittles were flushed out that time too – from the predictable whingy carry on from the NSW Opposition to the butter wouldn’t melt in my mouth tosser from the Police Association. Yawn.

What gets me is where do these toss-pot dolts get off suggesting that a bit of blue language directed at the plods is a crime. What a waste of the courts time. Sure there would be grounds for an appeal – if it could be established the police never use foul language and that such a verbal assault had led to the concerned officers having to go home from their shift early and have a Bex and a lie down. Give me a break – after midnight, outside the Orient Hotel. This looks more like a case of malicious police harassment than anything else.

Slapp_monkey9:01 am 20 Oct 05

Thumper said.
Probably correct David. I find the fact that someone can wander out of a pub pissed out of their skull, verbally abuse the Police and get away with it, appalling.

you cannot do that to other people, are cops any different?

As I understand it and I do only have a laymans approach to law enforcement but it is illegal for one person to verbal abuse another. So does this make police not people? or is She trying to say that it is the uniform that is getting abused and not the individual. Either way is this kind of message that the public should be encourage to act in an abusive manner towards police. I do not know the specifics of the case but surely this will create a distancing of the police force from the general community. I am confused how a police officer can maintain empathy with the community when they are being verbal abused and lack any response.

Again though it should be pointed out that without specific knowledge of the case I could be misunderstanding. If anyone has more knowledge please let me know.

Yeah, it’s 1/16 now, but it used to be a hell of a lot higher ratio of Maori over Pakeha blood than that a few years back!

Mr Evil, in NZ you have to prove your descent via your bloodline, in order to be recognised as a maori you have to have at least 1/16th in you.

There is no such restriction in Australia and the one indigenous person I did mention the topic to nearly flew at me with everything they had to hand it was that volotile…

So since proving you’re an abbo isn’t a requirement in this country, there’s aforementioned ability for some very white indigenous representatives to bandwagon.

Her worship has demonstrated in past decisions that she doesn’t encourage respect for police. Of course I think she’s just a fuckmuppet and nutcase and shouldn’t be let anywhere near a court (at least not on that side of the nebch!)

David Heidelberg1:45 pm 19 Oct 05

Perhaps an on the spot fine is more appropriate.

Though a cop once told me the get fucked. I thought it was funny at the time, and still do actually.

No, I don’t think it’s bad to say that. Maybe it’s becoming like it is in NZ nowadays, where some of the most radical Maoris are whiter than I am?

Is it bad to say all the Aboriginals at the tent embassy in town have been cleaning the chalk duster a bit too often ?

It’s looking mighty white over there these days…

Perhaps Ruf-o IS Indigenous?

I wonder if O’Shane would have been so disinterested if Rufus had said something bad about Aboriginals?

O’Shane is one sick puppy.

Perhaps he copped a serve from Ruf-o too.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart7:02 pm 18 Oct 05

I think the media have had trouble getting in contact with him, I’ve only seen & heard his lawyer, and he wasn’t saying much of use.

Has anybody taken the time to ask Ruf-o whether anything unflattering might have been said to him, thus causing him to employ unsavoury language?

Samuel Gordon-Stewart6:46 pm 18 Oct 05

Maybe I’ll clarify that. What I was trying to say is that the potential appeal would take up time which could be used on more important things. I think the police should have issued a caution rather than taking it to court, but if/when such matters are taken to court, an appropriate sentence should be given, in my view community service would a good punishment.

I’m probably still not making perfect sense, but you should be able to catch my drift.

I agree that it is a waste of the court’s time, but I think O’Shane has set a bad precedent.

so we shoudl set a precedent that wasting the courts time is OK? Which ever way she jump she’s setting a precident.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart4:52 pm 18 Oct 05

NSW police commissoner Ken Maroney is considering an appeal.

Certainly it is normal to hear swearing in lots of places all times of the day, but it doesn’t make it acceptable to swear at the police. I agree that it is a waste of the court’s time, but I think O’Shane has set a bad precedent.

Absent Diane4:45 pm 18 Oct 05

Agreed xman….. and anyway words are just words when it comes down to it

Surely Police Officers have a thicker skin than this???

For me Bonfire sums this issue up, and encpsulates what O’Shane was trying to say – Rufus should have been banged up overnight, wall bounces optional, and learned his lesson. Wasting court time for a f*ck and a finger is farcical.

If Ruf-o was saying “you’re nothing but a Waratah f**ktard, Go Brumbies”, I might sympathise a bit.

Sounds like O’Shane would fit in with the left wing judges we have down here.

so is getting your head kicked in by thugs. i wonder if thats socially acceptable as well ?

call me old fashioned, but if someone tells a copper to fuck off, they at minimum should have a trip to the pokie overnight to ponder the wisdom of their course of action.

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