Jason Nicholas Soulos punched Bunbury police officer in the head after consuming 25 drinks

A man punched a police officer in the face while being put in the back of a paddy wagon outside a Bunbury pub after a drunken night out where he admitted he consumed about 25 drinks. Jason Nicholas Soulos, 45, appeared in Bunbury Magistrates Court on Monday, where he pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the attack, including disorderly behaviour in public and obstructing and assaulting a public officer. At 11.55pm on July 8, Soulos was seen outside the Burlington Hotel yelling at police officers saying “f... you” and “where is the c...” upset over his friend who had been assaulted inside the pub. The court was told Soulos had aggressive body language and clenched fists and became involved in a scuffle with officers as they attempted to put into the back of a police vehicle. It took four officers to handcuff Soulos, taking him to the ground before being able to detain him. After being placed in a police vehicle, an officer informed Soulos he would be given a disorderly behaviour notice but when he came closer, Soulos punched the officer to the left of his face and chin, causing his head to snap back. The court was told Soulos and his friend had been at the venue to see the band playing that night, but had began drinking prior to the outing and the man estimated to have had “approximately 25 standard drinks”. Soulos had been inside when someone informed him of the assault, before exiting the bar to find police tending to his friend who had a bloodied face, causing him to become enraged. The court was told Soulos was “extremely remorseful” and “ashamed” of what he had done, and he had “changed his drinking habits” since the night of the offending. Magistrate Benjamin Tyers handed down a total of $600 in fines for the disorderly behaviour and obstruction charges, along with a nine month suspended imprisonment order for the assault. He said the behaviour was “completely unnecessary” and he was wary of the potential risk of one-punch attacks. “A single punch can do lots of damage,” he said. “Your behaviour was effected by alcohol which doesn’t mitigate but somewhat explains your actions but ... police officers need to be protected.”