Officer hit by boot case to be reviewed

A HOBART woman charged with assaulting a police officer by striking her with her boots will have the case reviewed after the charge had previously been dropped by a magistrate.

In the Supreme Court in Hobart before Chief Justice Alan Blow this week, a motion to review an order of magistrate Reg Marron dismissing a complaint in the assault case was upheld.

The accused, Alex Williams-Coates, was charged with assaulting Constable Laura Winfield-Peterson while she was on duty by “striking her in the hip with a pair of boots” about 3.30am on July 3, 2016, in Murray St, Hobart.

Constable Winfield-Peter- son was on mobile patrol with another officer when they were called to the corner of Liverpool and Murray streets, where there was a report of people fighting.

The court heard that as some of the group, including Ms Williams-Coates’ partner, ran away from police, the accused struck the officer with at least one of her boots.

Ms Williams-Coates said she took the shoes off because they were hurting her feet and she was throwing them to her partner.

She said the constable was hit unintentionally.

In the original decision, Mr Marron said he would give Ms Williams-Coates “the benefit of the doubt” and the matter was dismissed.

Chief Justice Blow said it was not open to the magistrate to reach a conclusion to the effect that the charge had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt.

“Becoming separated from one’s boots at 3.30am on a winter night in Hobart is generally not a good idea,” he said.

“She had a motive for striking Constable Winfield-Peterson with the boots if she believed that the constable was chasing her partner.

“One would expect an apology and an explanation if the striking had been unintended and accidental.

“Words like, ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you’ are not hard to say.”

Chief Justice Blow allowed the motion to review the matter and the order dismissing the complaint was set aside.