Mitchell Raymond Harper behind bars after violently assaulting man at Wellington police station

Mitchell Raymond Harper, 33, was escorted into custody after he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and a stalk and intimidation charge in Wellington Local Court this week.

Tensions had been brewing between the man and Harper's partner for almost three months before the attack unfolded on January 26.

The man was walking in the Coles carpark at Wellington at about 8.45pm when a white Ford territory drove past and slammed on the brakes.

Harper was inside the car and yelled out "I'm sick of you threatening my woman".

The man - being alone - began to feel frightened and went to Wellington police station to report the matter. He used the external phone at the station to report the incident to Dubbo police station, before hanging up.

That's when the man saw the white Ford pull up outside the police station.

READ ALSO:

Harper leaped out of the vehicle and ran toward the man, chasing him into a courtyard adjacent to the station.

The man was cornered in the courtyard when Harper punched him a number of times in the head and arms. The man eventually fell over when Harper kicked a phone out of his hand.

Harper left toward the Ford territory waiting out the front, when he turned back and said to the man "that's what you get for spitting on my woman. You'll get it if you keep f---ing around with her".

Officers arrived a short time later and found the man outside the police station visibly shaken and crying.

He was calmed down by police and escorted inside the station. Police noticed his right ear began to discolour and swell and a bruise was forming, he also had a graze on his right upper arm and was complaining of pain coming from the back of his right ear and forearm.

Ambulance paramedics attended and he was given ibuprofen and paracetamol before he was discharged home.

Officers called Harper and organised a time for him to attend Wellington police station to be arrested by appointment on February 2.

Harper appeared in Wellington Local Court this week where he pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and a stalk and intimidation charge.

Defence lawyer Rachel Howell said her client had "just snapped" when seeing the man who had allegedly spat at his partner the day prior.

She argued Harper hadn't reoffended since January this year, and given his early plea, Ms Howell said it was clear her client was remorseful and accepted he "completely did the wrong thing on this occasion".

"In the sentencing assessment report, he tells the author he regrets his actions and wished he reacted another way," Ms Howell told the court.

She argued her client had made progress this year, securing employment at a seat cover manufacturing company, and had now engaged with a doctor and was on medication.

"He is someone who's capable of being law abiding, from 2010 to 2015 there was no offending, and he tells me that's when he was off the drugs," Ms Howell told the court.

However Magistrate Kevin Hockey said he had already served a term of imprisonment for numerous violent offences, which seemed to have had no impact, as he was again placed on a community corrections order in 2019 for assault occasioning actual bodily harm which he was subject to at the time of the attack.

"This is a significant violent attack where he follows the man to the police station, when he's aware he's there to report the matter to police. It might be a spur of the moment of the thing seeing him in car park but it's ongoing."

Magistrate Hockey took into account the need for rehabilitation, however he found Harper had been given ample opportunities to change his aggressive behaviour, which had been unsuccessful.

Harper was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 10 months.