A HOMELESS man's prayers were answered by a stranger's act of kindness, until his decision to take advantage of the situation saw police get involved.
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Jonathan Ball, 29, of Nurse Fox Close, Oberon, was convicted in Bathurst Local Court after he pleaded guilty to entering inclosed land and resisting/hindering police.
Ball met the victim during the final week of May 2023 on William Street in Bathurst when the man offered him a place to stay after finding out he was homeless, court documents said.
Ball spent the night at the Seymour Street unit before returning two days later.
It was at this point he was asked to leave by the victim, who had become frightened by Ball.
The home owner didn't return home for two weeks, until June 13, when he, his mother and support workers went to the unit and called police after hearing voices coming from inside.
Police arrived and were greeted by a woman, who was told to leave.
The court heard police then went inside the main room and asked the people who hid in the bathroom to come out.
Ball ran outside of the home and continued down Seymour Street until he made his way through the Bathurst Sports Ground and onto Morse Park.
A short time later, he was spotted by a senior constable on Sydney Road, who tried to stop him with a burst of capsicum spray.
But, he kept running.
Another officer, who was following in a vehicle, caught up with Ball and took him to the ground where he was handcuffed.
He was then taken to Bathurst Police Station.
Sentence
Legal Aid solicitor Matthew Tedeschi told the court during sentencing that his client had not long moved from Queensland, and after falling into strife with the law, he regretted the relocation.
Mr Tedeschi said while Ball was on a community correction order at the time, he asked Magistrate D Pearce to take into account his limited means.
"It's fairly run of the mill in terms of how resisting police goes," Mr Tedeschi said of his Ball's offending.
He was convicted and fined $300.
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