Abhorrent act on cop

A MAGISTRATE has slammed a woman’s “abhorrent conduct” after she smeared faeces on the hand of a police officer who had been called to her aid.

Police were called to a Newtown address about 5.25pm on February 14, 2022, and after hearing a woman screaming had entered the home, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told on Wednesday.

Police detained Linda Maria Ann Hingston and her partner in order to conduct inquiries, police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb said, however once she was taken outside to get her version of events the 31-year-old became uncooperative, screaming, “I want to hug him”.

The court was told despite repeated warnings from police that she couldn’t go inside the house Hingston continued to struggle against police.

Police remained at the property for a number of hours, with Hingston still obstructing police, when at 7.20pm the court was told she screamed at one officer “I’m going to s--- on you”.

“The defendant put her hand up her skirt and yelled ‘there is piss on my hands’ and flicked it towards the officer,” Mr Brewster-Webb said.

“(Hingston) then put her right hand up her skirt, into her rectum and screamed ‘do you want to see my s---’.”

Telling the officer “that hand has poo on it”, Hingston then wiped her fingers on the back of a police officer’s hand.

In court Hingston pleaded guilty to serious assault of a police officer, obstructing police and possessing a drug utensil, after a water pipe was found in the home.

Hingston’s solicitor Nikola Prince told the court her client was a mother of five.

Witnessing drug abuse and domestic violence as a child, Ms Prince said Hingston had been diagnosed with a number of mental health conditions including PTSD and ADHD.

Ms Prince said that her client was in a “heightened emotional state” at the time of the incident, but accepted responsibility for her actions, and it was no excuse for what happened.

Describing the offence as “abhorrent conduct”, magistrate Louise Shephard said that police had a hard enough job without having to deal with being assaulted on the job.

The court was told Hingston had written a letter of apology, and Ms Shephard said her remorse was genuine.

Hingston was jailed for four months, suspended wholly for 12 months.