Melissa Judith Carney in court for public nuisance, assault police, obstruct police

A former nurse’s false fresh start to the new year has caught up with her after she was sentenced for her antics at a local pub.

A 42-year-old ex-registered nurse and support worker kicked a police officer in the face during a violent arrest outside a popular Gympie pub on the first day of the new year.

Now, she’s been sentenced for her actions.

Gympie Magistrates Court heard Melissa Judith Carney was at the Queenslander Hotel in Mary St late on January 1, 2022, when she drunkenly tried to get behind the pub’s bar and cash register.

She was ushered away and had not even sat down before she was asked to leave.

She refused and aggressively grabbed a security guard by the shirt when he tried to remove her.

Police arrived at the pub just after 11pm and asked for Carney’s ID, which angered her even further.

She was placed under arrested after she “got in the face” of one of the officers and attempted to snatch her driver’s licence back.

The court heard Carney struggled with police during the arrest, refusing to get into the back of the car and kicking out at the officers; one of which was struck in the face.

He was not injured.

She was then taken to the Gympie watch house.

Defence lawyer Greg Wildie said the series of events came after his client had a “complete meltdown” over the 2021 Christmas period.

“She doesn’t have a lot of recollection of these events and she is certainly very embarrassed,” he said.

Melissa Judith Carney was kicked out of the Queenslander Hotel in Mary St (pictured) for drunken behaviour and subsequently kicked a cop trying to arrest her in the face.

“My client was very heavily emotionally affected at the time of this offending,” he said, adding Carney was employed as a registered nurse and support worker prior to these events.

She pleaded guilty to public nuisance in a licenced premises, obstruct police and two charges of assault police; and was supported by one person in the public gallery.

Carney was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service within 12 months.

A conviction was not recorded.