Tasers, a pink diary and a bulge in the front of his pants — the inside story of an Albany meth dealer’s violent run-ins with police

Convicted Albany meth dealer Nicholas William Knight broke down in tears in court last week as he was sentenced to prison in a hearing that revealed dramatic details of his violent run-ins with police. Knight fought against his arrest three times between June last year and May, the Albany Magistrate’s Court was told on Friday. During his tussles with police, the 28-year-old — described as tall and solidly built — tried to punch and almost bit police, according to prosecuting Sgt Peter Yuswack. Tasers failed to stop him three times during his attempts to avoid arrest. Magistrate Raelene Johnston sentenced Knight to 14 months jail after she was told police were put in danger every time they encountered him. “I don’t want to say he’s asking for trouble but he’s not helping himself,” Ms Johnston said before handing down her sentence. “He just seems to dig himself into a deeper hole.” Sgt Yuswack detailed a string of police obstruction charges which started on June 3 last year, when Knight fled from officers on a Yamaha motorcycle. Knight fell off the Yamaha in an Albany Highway service station carpark in Albany’s CBD about 2am, then swung a punch at police in a failed attempt to escape. But the bulk of Knight’s prison sentence came from another police stop, less than two months later on July 31. He was found with eight bags of meth stashed down the front of his pants. Each bag held either 0.1g or 0.5g of the drug, according to Sgt Yuswack. Police noticed the “bulge” about 12.40am on Alfred Street in McKail. Knight began “violently” struggling with police when they tried to grab what was revealed to be a sock concealing the meth. During the struggle, Knight ran from police and was twice hit with a taser to no effect, before being handcuffed. Weighing scales, two mobile phones and $575 were found hidden in the Yamaha motorcycle Knight had been riding. One phone was not password-protected, leading police to uncover text messages related to drug sales. During a search of Knight’s McKail home, police found more evidence of his intent to sell the drug — a pink diary listing people who owed him drug money. A warrant for Knight’s arrest was issued on May 13 when he failed to face a scheduled trial over possessing the meth with intent to sell — a crime to which he ultimately pleaded guilty. He unsuccessfully argued he could not attend the trial because he was instructed to self-isolate during a bail application hearing on May 26. Knight had been arrested the previous day about 2.20pm in front of stunned onlookers in a carpark near the intersection of Young Street and Lockyer Avenue. Police were led on a 180m foot chase after spotting Knight in Albany Plaza’s lower carpark. While being chased, Knight tried to convince a pursuing officer a warrant had not been issued for his arrest and he would hand himself in if he could go home first. It took at least eight officers 20 minutes to secure Knight in the back of a police van. Police had initially charged Knight with assaulting an officer for allegedly biting a senior constable while in lock-up later that day. That charge — and two offers to sell or supply meth charges — were dropped by police earlier this month. In court on Friday, Sgt Yuswack said Knight had placed his mouth on the senior constable’s arm while police fought to grab his phone. Ms Johnston told Knight he would have known the “scourge” the “insidious” drug had on the community. The 28-year-old was made eligible for parole.