Olympian avoids jail for spitting on Qld police officer

Olympic boxer Damien Hooper has avoided jail for spitting on a Queensland police officer.

He had pleaded guilty to spitting on an officer while being placed into a police car outside a nightclub in Dalby on the state's Darling Downs in January last year.

In sentencing, Judge Kerry O'Brien said spitting was a particularly vulgar form of assault and had a significant psychological impact on the officer.

But he noted Hooper's work with Indigenous children when granting him immediate parole on an 18-month jail sentence.

Outside court, Hooper said he was very sorry for what he did.

"I can just go out to the communities and just relax and train hard as possible, and teach kids not to make the same mistakes that I have," he said.

"At the time I lost my brother and I was in a bad way, and I was abusing alcohol and I wasn't myself and I made that mistake.

"I use my boxing and my skills today to go out in the community and teach the kids not to make the mistakes that I made."

The boxer also said he was committed to becoming a world champion.

Coach Gareth Williams said Hooper had turned his life around.

"He will be champion of the world, he will be a superstar, he will be the next Roy Jones Junior," he said.

If Hooper breaches his parole he will serve his 18 month jail term.