Prank scanner in hot water

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A man who used a scanner to verbally abuse a police officer on the police radio channel has been fined for his actions.

Liam Carey, 24, appeared in the Nelson District Court on Monday to plead guilty to charges of disorderly behaviour, resisting police, misuse of a telephone device and a charge of trespass from a separate incident.

According to the police summary of facts, Carey was at the Tahunanui Beach Reserve with two children at 2pm on January 16.

He became angry when police approached him and his vehicle, yelling at police to keep away before approaching them in an aggressive manner.

He then stepped between the car and a police officer to prevent her from inspecting the vehicle.

He was warned about the language he was using in front of children and about his obstructive behaviour.

He then walked away with the children in an agitated state, saying he would be listening on the scanner.

Carey then used the scanner to transmit on the police radio channel, following the officer responding to a welfare check.

In relation to the officer he said: “You’re not all good, you’re a b***h.”

He was located a short time later at the BMX track where he refused to comply with police and threw his scanner into a pond.

As police attempted to arrest him, he struggled and was handcuffed with assistance from a member of the public.

He continued to struggle and resist until he was inside the patrol car.

Carey told police he was yelling and swearing because he felt harassed by police and he didn’t think his scanner would transmit on the police radio.

He said he resisted arrest because he didn’t want the children to see him in handcuffs.

Police also told how, on December 16, he was seen by security driving out of Tantragee Reserve, which he had been previously trespassed from.

Between then and January 27 he was seen on covert cameras well within the reserve on at least 12 occasions.

Judge David Ruth convicted Carey and fined him $200 on each of the trespass, misuse of telephone and disorderly behaviour charges.

However, on the charge of resisting police, Judge David Ruth says he found Carey’s behaviour towards the officer who was “just doing her job” to be “quite appalling,” so fined him $400.