A man who told police he was grappling with a martial arts friend after being caught on CCTV for "acting disorderly" then kicked two officers during a violent outburst as they put him in protective custody because he was drunk in public.
Joshua Finney, 29, appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court via audio-visual link from the Canberra jail on Monday when he pleaded guilty to two counts of assaulting a frontline community service provider and one of knowingly resisting a territory public official.
A court document states that about 5am on February 6, CCTV captured two men - with the defendant being one - acting disorderly at the intersection of Bunda and Genge streets.
At the same time, police arrived to talk with them.
Finney, a Wright resident, said he had been grappling with his friend because they both train together at a local martial arts gym.
Police saw Finney to be unsteady on his feet, his speech slurred and "he was not able to converse properly".
His friend then convinced him to leave in a nearby taxi; however, as he walked to the taxi, he interacted others outside a nightclub and tried to evade approaching police officers.
Police told Finney he was drunk in a public place and was placed in police protective custody.
"The defendant immediately became combative with police who made attempts to escort him to the police car," the court document states.
"The defendant was non-compliantly handcuffed as he continued to lash out at police.
"He kicked and screamed as police struggled to get him into the caged vehicle."
In his violent outburst, he kicked an officer across her face and another on her left wrist.
Police had to use capsicum spray to subdue him before taking him to the ACT Watch House.
A member of the public gave police footage of the incident he recorded on his mobile phone.
The court on Monday heard he had outstanding matters in NSW, was employed and that his bail application was unopposed.
Conditions include residing in Wright, accepting ACT Corrective Services' supervision and attending the front door when police attend.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered and Finney is set to face sentencing on June 17.
