A mentally-ill man accused of punching a female Dubbo police officer, spitting on a doctor, biting a corrections officer and assaulting two mental health workers has been declared unfit to enter pleas to 31 offences.
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The former Dubbo resident, who now resides in Orange and has 97 prior charges, walked free from Dubbo Local Court this week after he successfully applied to permanently halt the legal action police initiated.
"Yeah I stole from Dollars and Sense...section 32, section 32, I'll get bail, I always get bail," the 32-year-old man reportedly told police when they arrested him for shoplifting in January.
After he mentioned the legislation which allows magistrates to dismiss charges against defendants if they have a mental illness, the man allegedly used a woman's bank cards without her permission to purchase cigarettes, scratchies and groceries at various Dubbo businesses.
When police attempted to deal with those offences, the man allegedly punched a female police officer in the eye and urinated in a holding dock at the police station after he was asked to wait to go to the toilet.
Court documents revealed the man was subject to a Mental Health Tribunal order that forced him to get a range of treatments in the community when the alleged offences occurred. The order expires in October.
In court, forensic psychiatrist Dr Gerald Chew said it was unlikely the man was feigning symptoms of mental illness but he did say "it's always a possibility" the man could exaggerate symptoms.
He said the man had a thought disorder, did not want to be treated and would be "very difficult to get better".
The man may have referred to legislation and bail but that did not mean he understood processes, the court heard.
Magistrate Theresa Hamilton said someone who has been in courts many times "can parrot phrases without understanding what they mean".
She also said the hearing was all about whether or not the man was fit to plead and police statements of alleged facts were "irrelevant".
Magistrate Hamilton found the man was unfit to plead and permanently stayed proceedings.
