A Mayfield man who repeatedly swore at a senior police officer and breached a suspended prison sentence was spared jail on Monday after he told a magistrate that he had "kid on the way".
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James Roy Richard Nettlefold, 23, expressed remorse in a letter of apology he wrote to the Senior Constable on January 10.
A day earlier at Beauty Point Nettlefold called the officer a "c***", "fu**wit" and "di**head". While the Senior Constable was trying to arrest a man, Nettlefold also said "fu** you".
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Nettlefold pleaded guilty to one count of using abusive language to a police officer when he appeared in Launceston Magistrates Court.
"I know I shouldn't have got involved and that's what I wrote the apology letter the very next day," Nettlefold told Magistrate Ken Stanton.
"I've got a kid on the way, I've got a new job."
Mr Stanton revealed the Beauty Point incident was not the first time Nettlefold had caused police grief.
The court heard Nettlefold was previously convicted of offences that involved resisting, wilfully obstructing and evading police.
Mr Stanton said Nettlefold's abuse of Senior Constable put him in breach of a suspended sentence he was given in June last year.
"Your approach to compliance with the law over the last five years or so has been poor," Mr Stanton said.
"All you did [at Beauty Point] was create further problems. Your involvement would have provided encouragement to those that were resisting the police officer in the performance of his duty."
Mr Stanton convicted Nettlefold, fined him $1000 and extended the suspended sentence by 12 months.
"Given the different nature of the offence, on balance, and your personal circumstances, I think it would be unjust to activate the suspended sentence," Mr Stanton said.
