Plaza pepper-sprayer avoids prison

comments were what stopped him from sending her to prison.

‘‘He didn’t want the judge to come down hard on you.’’

The victim made those comments during a restorative justice meeting the pair had after the May 26 incident.

Davidson and some friends were in a car at The Plaza shopping centre when the security guard approached to ensure they had not stolen anything.

Davidson used the pepper spray, which she carried for protection, on the guard before she and her friends left.

Defence lawyer Marian Anderson said Davidson was quite frightened by the incident, but accepted what she did was unacceptable.

‘‘Fortunately, there were no longterm side effects for the guard.’’

She had been stood down from her government department job as a result of the incident, Anderson said.

The judge said Davidson’s actions were ‘‘particularly nasty’’.

‘‘It’s probably more than discomfort, getting pepper-sprayed in the eyes.

‘‘You may have been under pressure and maybe felt wronged, but he was doing his job.

‘‘He was entitled to be there and to do his job without interference.’’

The judge also ordered Davidson to pay $250 in emotional harm reparation to her victim.