A man described as South Australia's "most infamous prisoner" has been found guilty of spitting on a police officer who had come to interview him in jail.
Magistrate Jack Fahey this morning found accused National Crime Authority (NCA) bomber Domenic Perre guilty of the aggravated assault on detective Simon Cassell at the Adelaide Remand Centre in November 2018.
Detective Brevet Sergeant Cassell told the court last month he and his colleague, Detective Sergeant Andrew Bull, had gone to the remand centre in November 2018 to investigate an alleged assault on Perre by another prisoner.
The detectives had been told Perre did not want to speak to police, but went to his cell to ask him about the assault.
Brevet Sergeant Cassell told the court he had said Perre's first name then identified himself as a police officer when Perre turned his head and spat towards him, with the spit landing on his jacket lapel.
Perre's lawyer Gilbert Aitken suggested police had invented the spitting.
"No, he definitely spat on me," Brevet Sergeant Cassell answered.
In cross-examination, Mr Aitken said police did not ask for CCTV in the cell, did not photograph the spittle on the jacket, did not get the handkerchief tested and did not immediately arrest Perre for spitting.
"Effectively by that inaction you have put Mr Perre at a significant forensic disadvantage, haven't you?" he said.
"Why did you really want to speak to Perre about this assault when you knew he wasn't interested?"
In his judgement, Magistrate Fahey said that Brevet Sergeant Cassell and Sergeant Bull made a report and statement about the incident, and were not expected or required to do more.
"If indeed there was any failure to do anything more, such failure does not detract from their evidence," Mr Fahey said.
"I do not have any doubts about the evidence of the two prosecution witnesses.
"I consider they were credible and reliable. I accept that the incident occurred as they stated."
Perre, whom the court was told was unwell, will be sentenced for the assault next week.
Perre is also awaiting judgement in his murder trial over the NCA bombing in 1994.
The matter returns to court later this month.
