Reams free after suspended sentence

PERTH hip hop artist Reams has received a suspended jail sentence for assault and drug charges.

Reece Martin Philpott received a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for 14 months, after pleading guilty to assaulting a taxi driver and damaging his taxi, assaulting a police officer and cultivating a cannabis plant.

Joondalup Magistrates Court was told that about 12.40am on March 3, a taxi driver dropped the 27-year-old at his Woodvale home.

He told the driver he needed to get his parents to pay the fare and the driver asked him to leave his phone in the car while he went to get the money.

The prosecutor said Philpott then punched the driver in the head “multiple times”, ripped off the rear view mirror and used it to scratch the vehicle.

“The victim bled from the nose as a result of the assault and drove to hospital, where he reported it,” she said.

She said police then attended the Woodvale home to arrest Philpott where he was “verbally abusive” and threatened officers, swinging at one “with a closed fist”.

Officers had to use pepper spray to arrest him.

They then searched his bedroom, where they found a small cannabis set-up in his wardrobe.

She said he told police he “planted the plant, set up the light and nurtured it” and it was intended for his own use.

Magistrate Gregory Benn said the charges were serious and asked if Philpott wanted some legal advice given he could be looking at jail time.

“I’ve come to terms with that,” he said, declining the offer.

He said he was “on a lot of medication” and he had drunk a lot that night and did not remember the incident.

“I had an argument with my ex then went on a rampage of drinking,” he said.

“And the taxi driver copped it,” Mr Benn said.

“I was out of it,” Philpott responded.

“I honestly can’t remember anything until it gets read out.

“I didn’t plan on doing it. It just happened.”

Philpott said he had been on medication since he was 15 or 16 years old and saw a community mental health doctor every two weeks, as well as having strong support from his family.

Mr Benn then asked to hear from Philpott’s father who was in the court room.

“He has struggled with illness for quite a while but in the last couple of months he has turned a big corner in my eyes,” he said.

“It is unfortunate what he has done and he appreciates the consequences and realises the problems he has got.

“The doctor has also seen him turn a corner and he’s got our support at home.”

Philpott said he had been making music since he was 16 and had recently signed to a label and was worried he might be “dropped”.

“Regardless of the outcome of today,” Mr Benn asked.

“Hopefully not. I just finished an album,” Philpott said.

The prosecutor said while the charges were serious, particularly the two assaults, Philpott’s pre-|sentence report was “quite favourable” and showed he had previously benefited from community programs.

She suggested the magistrate consider a suspended prison sentence so he “might be able to make further gains” but still have the sentence “hang over his head in case he loses control again”.

Mr Benn said there was “no question” prison was the only appropriate penalty for the assaults.

“My initial reaction was they should be served immediately given the very serious nature and the need for you to reflect on that seriousness,” he said.

However, he also noted the pre-sentence report, what Philpott and his dad had to say and that he had “clearly accepted responsibility for the offending”, his remorse was “genuine” and he was willing to take part in programs to address his substance abuse.

“You have some degree of talent that should be put to constructive use,” Mr Benn said.

Mr Benn issued 10 months in prison for the assault on the taxi driver and four months for the assault on the police officer, totalling 14 months, as well as one month each for the damage and cannabis to run alongside, all suspended for 14 months.

He also added conditions of supervision and programs to “address the issues that led to the offending”.

Mr Benn said given Philpott had already had the benefit of a conditional suspended prison sentence previously in the Supreme Court, he would not get another chance.

“It will be immediate prison time if you go on another bender again,” he said.

Philpott was also ordered to pay court costs of $225.90.

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Fishing fine five times more costly