Justin Philip Humphreys (a.k.a. Witchall), 32, was initially facing a charge of theft, after stealing his partner’s television and pawning it, the Dunedin District Court heard on Wednesday.
But when police arrived at his home his situation became significantly more serious.
The court heard how Humphreys wrestled with one officer who tried to apply handcuffs and continued to writhe around in the back of the police car.
On the way to the police station he issued threats against his partner: "When I get out, I’m going to go home and stab her and smash all the windows in the house."
Later, when informed he would be appearing in court in the morning, Humphreys doubled down.
"I’ll jump the box and stab the judge," he said.
And finally, he took aim at police staff as they tried to restrain him.
"I’ll f...... stab all of you," Humphreys repeated.
When officers intervened to stop him headbutting the concrete cell walls, he spat at one of them.
It was not the first time the defendant had shown a distinct lack of compliance.
In 2022, he was jailed for 17 months following a police chase as he thrashed his mother’s car around Dunedin streets.
Humphreys’ rampage only ceased when a patrol car pinned his vehicle against a barrier, his window was smashed and he was pepper-sprayed.
At the time, a report described him as having an "anti-authority" attitude but his lawyer stressed he wanted to "get his life sorted" and be a good parent.
Yesterday, counsel Noel Rayner said his client was in a "dark space of mind" when he committed his most recent crimes, worried he might never see his partner or child again.
The court heard Humphreys’ partner was now looking forward to resuming the relationship.
Judge Deidre Orchard said the defendant seemed prone to "self-dramatisation".
The threats, she told the court, appeared to be "pretty obviously bombastic" and were unlikely to have been taken seriously by the victims.
"It would be helpful if instead of acting out in the way he tends to do, he acts his age," she said.
Humphreys was convicted of three counts of threatening grievous bodily harm and counts of theft, resisting police and aggravated assault, and sentenced to three months’ home detention.
