Man who drove car at pub patrons, assaulted others won't be sent to jail

Michael Kevin Davis appeared at the Launceston Magistrates Court on February 27, 2024 to learn his fate after magistrate Sharon Cure delayed sentencing in 2023.

He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault, and one count each of threatening, assaulting and resisting a police officer.

The charges arose from a February 2023 incident when Davis arrived at the hotel in a belligerent state, attempting to bite one man on the face and hitting another over the head with an unopened beer bottle.

He also told one of the arresting officers to "f--- off! I know where you live," and threatened another that he would "I'm going to rip your ranger throat out".

Although he entered the guilty pleas in September 2023, Ms Cure held off on sentencing as Davis had been issued a 12-month home detention order some weeks prior.

This was a Supreme Court sentence for dangerous driving, where Davis drove his car at patrons of the Exeter Hotel in June 2022.

Ms Cure described the home detention, and an accompanying two-year community correction order, as a "rigorous intervention".

She praised his efforts to comply with the Supreme Court sentence, even if he had some trouble initially, noting he had taken steps to address mental health and substance abuse issues along the way.

"Your rehabilitation prospects are particularly good," Ms Cure said.

After giving the matter some thought and deciding the matter definitely warranted some form of prison sentence, Ms Cure sentenced Davis to three months' imprisonment, wholly suspended for 18 months.

This would end on August 27, 2025, although defence counsel James Kitto asked the order be altered so the suspension ended on August 29 - the same date as his other sentence.

This fell flat as the magistrate noted it was only a matter of two days, and Ms Cure urged Davis to keep making the efforts at reform.

"Maintain your focus on your rehabilitation," she said.