Wagga personality Laurence John Skewes convicted over police threats and abuse

Laurence John Skewes - known to many as Larry - faced Wagga Local Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to four charges linked to an incident in the city's CBD earlier this year.

About 10.19am on April 4, police received reports Skewes was very intoxicated and threatening and harassing females as they walked past him outside the Blackdoor Tactical shop on Baylis Street.

When officers arrived a short time later and asked Skewes what he was doing, he denied any wrongdoing and swore at them.

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Court documents said the officers determined Skewes was moderately drunk, as he was slurring his words and his breath smelt of liquor.

Despite attempts to reason with him, Skewes continued yelling profanities in the officers' faces.

They attempted to place him under arrest, at which point he agreed to move on and admitted to having "a couple" of drinks.

Minutes later, officers were forced to ask him to move from a nearby Telstra phone booth.

When police again ordered Skewes to leave the area, he hung up the phone and said "that's it, my brother's coming over with a gun. He's gonna shoot you."

After refusing to leave, police handcuffed Skewes and placed him under arrest.

They searched his pram and located a half-full four-litre box of Golden Oak chardonnay.

Skewes was charged with hindering or resisting a police officer in the execution of duty, continuing intoxicated behaviour after a move-on direction, failing to comply with the terms of notice erected at a public place and using offensive language in/near a public place/school.

In court, Skewes' solicitor said his client had "no long-term fixed abode" and was currently on a disability support pension as a result of industrial deafness.

The court heard Skewes is well-known in the Wagga community and has, on the whole, "a friendly reputation" despite some court history.

"He is remorseful for his behaviour and understands what he did on that day ... was inappropriate," the solicitor said.

"He instructs me he intends to avoid the main street of Wagga going forward to avoid this from happening again."

Magistrate Don McLennan warned Skewes against abusing police.

"You can't talk to the police like that," Magistrate McLennan said.

The magistrate took into account the fact "the grog" was a likely factor behind the use of such language, but he didn't excuse it.

"To speak like that to police is courting trouble," he said.

Skewes was sentenced to a six-month conditional release order and fined $150.

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