Once out of the van, Hughes raised his hands above his head and struck a thermal imaging camera, knocking it from its place.
A Corrections officer told him to stop and place his back against the wall.
Instead, Hughes raised his cuffed hands once more, swinging them down and striking the officer’s face.
The metal handcuffs made contact, causing injuries to the victim’s forehead, nose and left eye.
The victim — an officer with 18 years’ experience — provided the court with a statement revealing this was the first time he had been assaulted on the job.
The statement outlined serious and ongoing effects of his injury: confusion, emotional difficulties and an inability to complete simple tasks.
Forced to take time off work, the officer faced financial hardship and the “extreme lows of feeling like a burden on his family” and had become “a prisoner in his own home”, the court heard.
“He was effectively hit with a hammer, at force, to the head,” Judge David Robinson said.
“He was doing no more than his duty ... keeping you and our community safe.”
Hughes had a history of violent offending and at the time of the assault was facing two charges of wilful damage.
Counsel Karlena Lawrence told of Hughes’ clear mental health difficulties, reminding the judge that “at the time of the offending he was originally hitting himself”.
Hughes was convicted of injuring with intent to injure and sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment.
