A homeless man walked out of the Launceston Magistrates Court after being sentenced to the time he had already spent in prison.
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Magistrate Sharon Cure told Damian John Keogh, 31, that it was time to wipe the slate clean saying that the 63 days he had spent in custody was sufficient.
"I am not going to send you back to jail," she said.
Keogh asked if there were any drug and alcohol and gambling services he could be referred to saying he believed he had manic bipolar.
Ms Cure said that his defence counsel Hannah Phillips would give him some referrals.
During the sentencing hearing, Keogh stood and readjusted the shorts he was wearing.
"You can sit down Mr Keogh," she said.
"I'm just readjusting Your Honour," he said.
Keogh pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including one of expose person and a count of prohibited behaviour in Devonport on January 18.
Police prosecutor Mike Bonde said that a TasNetworks' employee rang police when he saw a man standing with his pants down masturbating.
He was also seen on a footpath in the clear view of passing motorists.
In an informal remark, Keogh said that it was because he didn't have anywhere to stay and couldn't make it to the toilet.
Keogh's offending spree began in Launceston on December 27 when he threw a white plastic milk crate onto Bathurst street from the Paterson St overpass. He told police his friend Steve had told him to do it.
In Ulverstone on January 19, he stole a 700ml bottle of Irish Whisky and drank the entire contents before throwing the bottle in the air.
In Hobart on January 27, he and a friend behaved in a disorderly manner by pushing people off scooters.
The next day he used a screwdriver to scratch a police car in Hobart. Walking along Sandy Bay Rd shortly after he repeatedly thrust the screwdriver at officers.
Officers deployed capsicum spray on five occasions but he continued to lunge at officers, coming within a metre.
"He walked onto the road, crouched and stabbed the right rear tyre of a vehicle causing it to deflate," Mr Bonde said.
Keogh was released on bail from Risdon Prison last week and returned to Launceston.
Ms Cure said a pre-sentence report contained a report from the Forensic Mental Health Service which had no definitive diagnosis.
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Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
