A Cowra woman who “violently” resisted arrest and used “undignified” language towards police has been handed a seven month suspended prison term.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Lesley Colleen McGrath was convicted on a charge of assault a police officer, resist arrest and possess restricted substance when she appeared at Cowra Local Court on Wednesday, August 9.
About 10.30am on November 26, police seized a vehicle on Logan Street, sparking a protest by McGrath resulting in her being arrested.
According to police facts, she told a senior constable “I’ll f---ing kill you” and “I’ll stab you”, before she “violently” resisted arrest.
The vehicle was towed and she was arrested and taken to Cowra Police Station where police conducted a search and found four tablets inside her bra.
The court heard it was a prescription drug and she was holding it for a friend – not one she was abusing at the time.
However, her solicitor, Mr Nidal Abdi of the Aboriginal Legal Service, did admit drug use was “certainly a contributing factor” to McGrath’s actions on the day of the offence and “the issue was ice at the time”.
Magistrate Michael O’Brien said there needs to be a message put out that “any offence against police must be denounced in the strongest possible terms.”
“When police are discharging their duties they have a difficult task to perform. Very often they don’t want to be there, they are required to as part of their duties to do things and be at places they don’t want to be. And they are constantly confronted with people who, for a variety of reasons, behave appallingly,” Magistrate Michael O’Brien said.
“Your language and your actions, and I hope you’ve had time to reflect upon it, did not do you any credit. They were undignified.”
Magistrate O’Brien took into account the fact McGrath had spent three months and 13 days, up until June 13, in prison prior to sentencing.
She was sentenced to seven months jail suspended under the condition she enter a good behaviour bond.
She was ordered to enter a section nine and section 10 bond for a period of 12 months as well.