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Man fined for violently resisting arrest

The brother of murder victim Troy “Yankee” Rawlins was yesterday fined $1600 for assaulting a police officer.Raymond Burgess, 32, said he was drunk and distraught over his brother’s death when he was confronted by police at Swinging Doors nightclub.The Pembroke resident pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to obstructing justice, assaulting an officer and violently resisting arrest around 4.20pm on Mother’s Day.Crown counsel Robert Welling said police had reason to enter the popular bar and found Burgess there.Burgess turned and began to walk away when he noticed the officers, shoving his hand into his left pants pocket.The officers attempted to search Burgess under the misuse of drugs act but he struggled, jamming his hands in his pockets and trying to push them away.Officers eventually used captor spray, then a Taser to detain Burgess, who they said was trying to pull items out of his pockets.Police searched Burgess after he was arrested and found nothing.In court yesterday Burgess said he was drunk and distraught over his brother’s death at the time.“Usually when I get searched I reach into my pockets and put it all on the table,” he said. “I had no drugs on me, so I had no reason to resist.“My brother was gunned down a few months ago and the trial is coming up.“I had a dream and all I saw was my brother slumped over. Even when I was tased, I saw him right in front of my face.”Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined Burgess $600 for obstructing justice, and $500 each for the other two offences.