David William Hargraves sentenced after crashing into parked car and choking police officer

David William Hargraves, 48, had visible wounds to his head when he appeared in the dock at Batemans Bay Local Court on March 20.

Hargraves pleaded guilty to drive vehicle under influence of alcohol - first offence, intentionally choke person with recklessness, assault police officer in execution of duty and occasion actual bodily harm, two counts of assaulting police officer in the execution of duty and hinder or resist police officer in execution of duty relating to an incident on March 19.

According to documents tendered to the court, Hargraves crashed his car into a parked station wagon causing "significant damage" just after 9pm on March 19.

The owner and Hargraves shared details, after which the owner contacted police to report the incident and "the belief that [Hargraves] was intoxicated at the time of the collision," the documents said.

The papers said when police attended Hargraves' home later that evening, he admitted to driving the car and consuming alcohol and cannabis.

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When police tried to issue Hargraves with a paper Field Court Attendance Notice, he refused to comply and began to eat the notice, throwing the rest onto the ground.

The documents said Hargraves was "belligerent and clearly hindering police" when they attempted to leave the property.

The papers said Hargraves was already serving a 12-month community corrections order issued at Bega District Court in January for hindering or resisting police in the execution of duty.

As one officer was sitting in the driver's seat of the police car Hargraves took a hold of the partially-opened window and refused to let go.

When police approached Hargraves to arrest him, the documents said Hargraves put a police officer in a headlock, wrestled him to the ground causing the officer's head to bleed, and put the officer in a choke hold.

The officer was struggling to say "I cannot breath," the papers said.

Three other police officers eventually restrained Hargraves after a scuffle.

Hargraves was given a sedative at South East Regional Hospital.

One policeman was treated for concussion and suspected broken ribs, while another is awaiting a CT scan to determine their injuries. Two other officers were treated at hospital for leg and shoulder injuries.

However, Hargraves' lawyer Lisa Stone said her client had also been quite seriously injured in the altercation.

"There are two sides to every story," she said.

She said Hargraves accepted he was a "smart-arse" when police arrived at his property, and shouldn't have touched the police car.

She said Hargraves' life had spiralled since the breakup of his marriage in 2019, and that his record before then was clean.

Magistrate Doug Dick said Hargraves had committed "extremely serious offences" and that police officer safety was of paramount importance.

Hargraves was sentenced to an 18 month intensive corrections order and must receive mental health treatment and anger counselling.

He was fined $1800 for driving under the influence and was disqualified from driving for six months.