Mediana Niaka Jean Makie sentenced in Townsville Magistrates Court for assaulting police post rugby league game

A woman who was seen punching a man on Victoria Bridge in a drunken rage after the football on Saturday has faced court for also spitting at and assaulting police during her dramatic arrest.

The court heard CCTV captured a 27-year-old punching a man on Victoria Bridge.

A woman who was seen on CCTV punching a man in the city faced court for also attempting to seriously assault police during her arrest, which included her spitting at them in “concerning behaviour”.

Mediana Niaka Jean Makie appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday morning via video link as she had been arrested on the weekend for assaulting officers after the hometown rugby league match.

Police prosecutor Angela Trevaskis said at 7.30pm, CCTV captured the 27-year-old punching a man on Victoria Bridge, causing him to bleed from the mouth.

When police arrived the man said he didn’t want to press charges against the woman, however, authorities charged her for public nuisance, the prosecutor said.

Ms Trevaskis told the court that during the arrest, Makie refused to identify herself, kicked at the constables, hitting them in the legs, attempted to headbutt one of them and, when back at the watch house, spat towards them.

“This occurred Saturday, likely after the football game, so there would have been a number of members of the public in the area,” the prosecutor said.

“It’s concerning that she spat towards the police.”

The court was told the woman had three and a half pages of criminal history, which included eight convictions for public nuisance offences, and had been on probation since June this year.

Defence lawyer Maria Christian from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Legal Services said her client currently worked as a bond cleaner and was working to complete a hospitality course with the Cowboys House.

“She doesn’t regularly consume alcohol, but when she does, she goes overboard,” Ms Christian said.

Magistrate Susan Warrington said it was “fortunate” that the woman’s spit didn’t land on the officers.

“It’s very serious conduct; there was violence, and when police arrived, you were swearing, screaming out, and the offending got more serious,” Magistrate Warrington said.

Makie pleaded guilty to serious assault of police, public nuisance, contravening a direction from police and possessing drug-related utensils.

She was sentenced to six months in jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of nine months.

Originally published as Mediana Niaka Jean Makie sentenced in Townsville Magistrates Court for assaulting police post rugby league game