Sydney Protestor Accused Of Assaulting Police Horse Is Refusing A Covid-19 Test In Jail

The Sydney man accused of assaulting a police horse during last weekend's anti-lockdown protest is refusing to take a coronavirus test in jail.

Kristian Pulkownik was 'unfit' to attend his court appearance this week because of the refusal to be swabbed for Covid-19.

Magistrate Mark Richardson told Barrister Hollie Blake at Central Local Court yesterday (July 29) that he needs to be tested because he took part in a potentially dangerous rally on Saturday (July 24).

"Your client ... has been in the community and is at risk to others as he could be COVID positive," he said.

"Your client is in isolation. They are not prepared to put him on screen, I assume, although that's not what the note says."

Ms Blake has suggested the case come back to the court in two weeks to see if there's an update.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, solicitor Tony Nikolic explained how difficult it is to speak to Pulkownik.

"The fact that we cannot get access to our client still looms large here," he said.

"No one's getting that access. The fact that, perhaps, COVID may be an issue ... I'm sure we've got the technology here these days to get a telephone, even if it's in a plastic bag, wipe it down, we can do that."

Mr Nikolic said he's only been able to have a five-minute conversation with the accused since he was taken into custody.

The 33-year-old is being housed at Parklea Correctional Centre, in Sydney's north-west.

He was brought into custody on Saturday night after the anti-lockdown protest had ended after he was identified in footage from the event.

Pulkownik has since been charged with affray, committing an act of cruelty upon an animal, joining or continuing in an unlawful assembly and failing to comply with a Covid-19 noticed direction.

Police allege he used unlawful violence on NSW Police horse Tobruk between 12.50pm and 1.10pm on Saturday, July 24, 'by conduct such that a person of reasonable firmness if present at the scene would have feared for their safety'.

The NSW Police Mounted Unit has since explained Tobruk was okay after monitoring the 'awful' protest and thanked everyone for their well wishes.

Featured Image Credit: Twitter

Topics: Australia

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

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