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A Wendouree man has been given strict bail conditions after a court was told he repeatedly hit a police officer who tried to arrest him in the Eastwood Street carpark.
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Mitchell Clarke appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, accused of resisting arrest, assaulting police, shoplifting and committing an indictable offence while already on bail.
The court was told the 22-year-old was taken into custody after reports of "youths causing trouble" at the Little Bridge Street bus exchange around 3pm on Monday.
Senior Constable Maddison Quayle told the court the youths had left the area by the time officers arrived, but a member of the public told them one of the people was loitering in the nearby carpark.
She said Senior Constable John Broadley recognised Clarke as someone wanted for other matters and approached him, announcing that he was under arrest.
She said the policeman was then hit several times.
The court was told he told Clarke again that he was under arrest and was again struck.
Senior Constable Quayle said the policeman struck back "in self-defence" and Clarke was subdued with O.C. spray.
The alleged offender was later charged with resisting police and assaulting an on-duty emergency worker.
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He was also charged with stealing a $68 bottle of Irish Whiskey from Dan Murphy's Ballarat on January 21. The alleged theft resulted in a further charge of committing an indictable offence while on bail, as he was due in court later this year on unrelated matters.
"There is an ongoing theme here," police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Garry Steel said.
"On the face of it (what happened yesterday) may seem like a minor matter, but it was to a police officer.
"The concern is the mindset of that action and further offending."
Defence lawyer Matthew McLellan said they had viewed footage of the incident recorded on a body-worn camera.
"There are issues here around the reasonable use of force by the police officer," Mr McLellan said.
"Also remember that (my client) has no previous history of assaulting."
Magistrate Hugh Radford granted bail on a long list of conditions including reporting to Ballarat police daily, living with his mother in Wendouree, surrendering his passport - as well as a ban on entering several Ballarat shopping precincts.
"You're running out of options very fast," he said.
"And the reason is because these conditions are as strict as I can make them."
The magistrate said that if Clarke skipped just one day of reporting to police, he would be back in custody.
"There's no room to move now - you can't slip up anywhere," he said.
Clarke is due back in Ballarat Magistrates Court on May 30.
The 22-year-old was accompanied by police in court and wore a black t-shirt and jeans.
At times during the hearing he was seen leaning backwards in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.
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