Police want jail for assaults on officers
QUEENSLAND Police Union president Ian Leavers has called for mandatory jail sentences for people who attack and injure officers.
His hard-line stance was in response yesterday to an out-of-control party at Upper Coomera in which police were punched and kicked by revellers.
A female constable, 29, was struck in the face and grabbed around the neck, and a male constable, 25, was punched and kicked. Another male officer also suffered minor injuries.
The officers will be off work while they recover.
Mr Leavers said assaults on officers were “absolutely unacceptable”.
“It just shows the unpredictable nature of police work when attending to routine calls for service,” Mr Leavers said.
“If you injure police and cause them detriment ... custodial sentences are the only option.
“Whether you’re 17 or 18, these serious attacks on police need to be met with imprisonment.”
It is understood a 17year-old girl who lived at the Meadow Way house had invited a small number of friends over, but the gathering soon spiralled out of control when word spread through social media.
Police said about 40 people ended up at the party, with several uninvited.
Inspector Scott MacQueen of the Northern Patrol Group said the teenage girl called police around 1.15am yesterday.
“(Officers) were assisting a young female occupant to remove persons that were trespassing,” he said.
“During the course of that one of the persons became aggressive, abusive towards police, which resulted in that person being arrested.
“While effecting that arrest ... people at the party ... have attacked the police officers involved.”
One of the people arrested, Ethan Shingles, 17, pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to one court each of obstructing police and breaching bail.
Shingles claimed he was just trying to help police.
Outside court, Shingles told reporters he was “always invited” to parties.
The court was told police were dealing with injured officers and a number of arrests when Shingles was spotted on the road.
“He led six other people back towards the residence,” the police prosecutor said.
“The defendant’s actions were making it difficult to deal with the injured officers and those arrested.”
Shingles had been told repeatedly to get back.
He was arrested 10 minutes later.
Shingles was already on bail for three counts of assault occasioning bodily harm.
Magistrate Kerrie O’Callaghan fined him $250 for each charge and a conviction was recorded.
Stacey van Kalken, mother of the 17-year-old girl whose name has been withheld, said she and her partner had taken their caravan to Tweed for the night, leaving their daughter at home with her friends.
“There wasn’t a party here,” she said.
“It erupted outside of the house ... it is a mother’s worst nightmare ... I came back here to make sure the girls were safe. It was quite a scary thing to happen.”
Neighbours were unimpressed with the commotion, with Phil Goff saying the incident had been frustrating and teenagers had left alcohol bottles strewn around his back yard.
An 18-year-old Upper Coomera woman was charged with two counts of serious assault of police and one count of trespass.
An 18-year-old Logan Central woman was charged with one count each of serious assault of police, obstructing police and trespass.
And an 18-year-old Helensvale woman was charged with serious assault of police.
The three are to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on February 5.