Liam James Dougherty, of Summerhill, pleaded guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court to using abusive language and assaulting police on June 7, 2021.

Police prosecutor Russell Forsyth said Dougherty had called an officer a "fat dog" and had spat at her with saliva landing on her leg.

He also pleaded guilty to a number of breaches of bail and possession of methylamphetamine.

Also in Wednesday's appearance Dougherty pleaded not guilty to a count of aggravated armed robbery and unlawfully setting a car on fire in August - the matters were adjourned to December 14 for preliminary proceedings. Court documents show that Dougherty is alleged to have stolen $5500 worth of cash, medication, keys and identification cards from a woman while armed with a pistol on August 21.

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He has also been charged with stealing a Nissan Pulsar on August 20 and unlawfully setting fire to the vehicle on August 21.

Last year Dougherty was sentenced in the Supreme Court in Launceston to a drug treatment order with a jail sentence of nine months if he failed to stay off drugs. The court heard that he served 18 days jail for failing tests as well as committing new offences from March onwards.

Defence counsel Olivia Jenkins said Dougherty had not intended to spit on the officer's face.

"It's disgusting though, isn't it," Magistrate Sharon Cure remarked.

"He is very ashamed of that behaviour," Ms Jenkins said.

Ms Cure said that Dougherty had frustrated everybody involved with his drug treatment - a comment he acknowledged with a nod.

She said the company he kept, "drug users and drug dealers", was a major problem.

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"He has been entrenched in addiction since 2012 when he was living in Melbourne," she said. Dougherty had a substantial drug debt that was holding him back.

"Substantial drug debts and the pressure he is under to meet the drug debts is significant, I don't think that can be overestimated," she said. The court heard that he underwent drug treatment at Serenity House for less than 48 hours in late August before he was arrested over the aggravated armed robbery charge and remanded in custody from September 2.

Magistrate Sharon Cure re-sentenced Dougherty after the drug treatment order was cancelled to seven months in jail, taking into account his compliance. She added a month for the breach of bail and assault police and abusive language and backdated the eight months to August 12.

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