Basher’s touch not soft

Serial cop attacker does it again, out in 60 days

A SERIAL cop basher who bit a paramedic on the genitals, kicked a 60-year-old hospital security guard in the chest and then assaulted a police officer has been sentenced to just six months in prison.

But Emma Louise Clinch, 32, will be free in two months with a parole release date of August 22.

A court heard Clinch committed the crimes while serving a suspended sentence for assaulting two police officers in March this year and had been convicted previously of assaulting police.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said the most recent offences were “quite serious”.

The lenient sentence was handed down as Queensland Chief Magistrate Ray Rinaudo criticised the Bulletin’s front page report yesterday on softtouch magistrates.

Judge Rinaudo defended the sentencing of Zac Luke Cree, described by police as an out-of-control recidivist.

Cree was sentenced to 33 months in jail for 20 crimes but will be released on parole after serving 11 months.

Judge Rinaudo said it was “well established law that courts will generally order that prisoners be released on parole after serving one third of the head sentence.”

“The article is offensive to the court, to magistrates in general and to those magistrates who sit in Southport in particular,” the judge said.

But the Bulletin contends it is right-minded members of the public who are offended by revolving-door justice. Take Clinch as further evidence.

The mother of six, who previously worked at a school tuckshop, pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to a rampage that started when paramedics took her to Robina Hospital about 5.30pm on May 2.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Bob Soper said Clinch was heavily intoxicated and ran from paramedics when the back doors of the ambulance opened and a paramedic gave chase to ensure she did not hurt herself. It was then that Clinch began to scratch at the paramedic.

“The paramedic has grasped her arms and then she has bitten him in the genital area,” Sgt Soper said.

The court heard the bite did not break the skin but caused the paramedic a large amount of pain.

A 60-year-old Robina Hospital security guard then came to the paramedic’s aid.

Clinch kicked the guard in the chest, knocking him to the ground, and he was treated in the hospital’s emergency department.

Police arrived and when they attempted to restrain Clinch she began to hit and tried to headbutt the two officers.

Defence lawyer Ross Oden said Clinch was suffering from severe alcoholism and had recently gone into a residential rehabilitation facility.

Mr Sinclair sentenced Clinch to six months jail for assaulting the paramedic, three months for assaulting the security guard and one month for assaulting the police officer and one month for obstructing the police officer.

He ordered the sentences be served concurrently. Her one-month suspended sentence was activated and ordered to be served cumulatively.

Clinch will be released on parole on August 22 this year.

That means a criminal with a history of attacking police, who has attacked them again, then attacked a paramedic trying to help her, then attacked a 60-year-old security guard, will spend 60 days in jail.

Soft touch magistrates? The Bulletin rests its case.