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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Blake Foden

'I'll just burn everything': Man admits pouring petrol on police

John Nocen, who has admitted committing acts endangering health. Picture by Hannah Neale

A man declared he would "burn everything" before pouring petrol over a police officer, who was trying to stop him setting a shed alight.

John William Nocen, 43, pleaded guilty in the Galambany Court on Wednesday to two counts of using an inflammable substance in an act endangering health.

He had previously admitted charges of aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm, aggravated property damage and knowingly resisting a public official.

Court documents show the Gordon man had separated from his long-term partner when his offending occurred on January 10.

Nocen turned up at the family home that night and threatened to smash the house up if he did not get his "stuff".

He wondered aloud how much it would hurt his partner if he hit her in the face with a torch, then struck her in the leg with it and caused a laceration.

John Nocen outside court earlier this year. Picture by Hannah Neale

Nocen subsequently forced the woman up against a brick wall and punched her in the face.

He then climbed onto a dryer on the back deck and kicked a window, which shattered, causing glass to fall onto his partner.

The 43-year-old entered the home through the broken window and assaulted the woman again while inside.

After eventually heading back outside, he declared: "I'll just f---ing burn everything then."

Nocen finally made his way to the garden shed, where he set the floor on fire using petrol and a cigarette lighter.

Police arrived around this time and an officer tried to pull Nocen out of the shed.

The 43-year-old resisted the constable, forcing him backwards into a fence and, in the process, pouring petrol all over him.

Nocen then punched and elbowed the officer, who hit his head on the ground.

"Whilst the defendant and [the constable] were struggling on the ground, [the officer] felt burning sensations to his right arm from the cigarette lighter being ignited by the defendant," documents tendered in court on Wednesday state.

Police eventually arrested Nocen after subduing him with capsicum spray.

Documents previously tendered in court said police believed Nocen had tried to light the constable on fire, but that allegation was removed from the amended statement of facts filed on Wednesday.

Following the entry of the guilty pleas, prosecutor Rhiannon McGlinn withdrew four charges, including two that alleged acts endangering life.

Special magistrate Anthony Hopkins told Nocen he had been assessed as suitable for circle sentencing, in which Indigenous elders help decide the penalties imposed on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander offenders.

When Dr Hopkins asked Nocen how he had been recently, the 43-year-old replied: "Good. Steady, steady."

The court has previously heard suggestions a "mental health crisis" prompted Nocen's offending, which landed him behind bars on remand for more than two months before Dr Hopkins granted him bail.

Nocen, who has reconciled with his partner since his offending, is due back in court for sentencing in August.

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