Karl Zeno Keong: Man resists arrest after ‘yelling abuse’ at police ‘just doing their job’, court told

A Kalgoorlie-Boulder man resisted arrest after drunkenly “yelling abuse” at police who were conducting a traffic stop on Burt Street. Karl Zeno Keong appeared in Kalgoorlie Magistrates Court on Monday to be sentenced for one count of obstructing public officers and one count of failing to give police personal details. Police prosecutor Matthew Fullgrabe said the incident started with Keong “yelling abuse” and swearing at police who were conducting a traffic stop on Burt Street, Boulder about 11pm on May 24. He told the court more police attended the scene, asking Keong to provide his name to which he responded, “I’m not going to give you my f...ing name”. Police advised he would be arrested if he did not comply and an “altercation” ensued, during which Keong continued to resist as he was being placed under arrest. His lawyer Will Reid told the court his client spent three days in hospital after receiving a black eye and broken wrist during the interaction. Mr Reid said Keong had lost his job due to the injury and had only recently recovered to line up a new job as a truck driver. While it was conceded Keong had been drinking, Mr Reid said he was remorseful for his actions and had limited his drinking since. Magistrate Janie Gibbs said Keong’s injuries were “not mitigatory” since if he had not behaved in the way he had, he would not have been injured. She said police were “just doing their job” and the interaction could have resulted in an assault charge rather than an obstruction charge. Discounting his sentence for his early guilty plea, Ms Gibbs handed Keong a $200 fine for failing to give police personal details and a $600 fine for obstructing public officers. He was ordered to pay a further $272.70 in court costs.