Catherine Wey sentenced in Rockhampton Magistrates Court

A court has heard the frightening messages a woman convicted of assaulting a police officer sent to an innocent nurse and her sister who she barely knew.

Catherine Jane Wey pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to a number of offences including unlawful stalking.

A court has heard how a nurse was fearful to leave her home after a young woman she hardly knew sent abusive messages and made offensive posts on social media, all while off medication.

Catherine Jane Wey pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of unlawful stalking, serious assault of a police officer by biting or spitting, three counts of failing to appear in court, two counts of wilful damage and one count of public nuisance.

The court heard the 31-year-old used Facebook to send a number of harassing messages to the victim on October 11 last year.

She also made a number of harassing posts on the social media platform, believing she had been treated by the victim, who is a nurse.

One of the posts by Wey included an address she believed the woman was living at as well as false statements about the victim.

That afternoon Wey sent the victim a message saying “a prison is where you belong” and “machete coming to you”.

Rockhampton Courthouse.

Wey then sent more abusive messages saying “we know every move” and that the victim would be “put in hospital with slashes and gashes”.

A short time later Wey made another post relating to the victim’s sister who she didn’t know, stating “attack”.

Police prosecutor Brendon Selic told the court Wey had only met the victim twice and the pair were “not well known to each other”.

Mr Selic told the court the victim became fearful for the safety of herself and her family, and did not want to leave her home.

But Wey’s offending didn’t stop there.

On November last year Wey went to the Women’s Health Centre on Bolsover St where she argued with staff.

While at the centre she picked up a garden chair near the entrance and threw it at the door, before also spray painting a panel of the door.

Wey then kicked the left panel of the sliding door causing it to fling inward and come off the tracks making it unusable.

On March 18 this year police took Wey to Rockhampton Hospital after she was detained in relation to another matter.

As officers waited at the Emergency Department doors, Wey was “quite incoherent” and when the doors opened she began screaming “noises that weren’t words”.

The court heard there were multiple patients in the triage area with officers warning Wey there were children present and to stop her behaviour.

Wey continued yelling and screaming at staff and security before police officers noticed patients becoming fearful and moving them from the triage area.

Wey then turned her attention to a police officer and thrust her head and body towards the officer before spitting at them, with the saliva landing on the officer’s uniform missing their face.

She was then detained before being sedated by hospital staff.

Wey’s lawyer Samantha Legrady told the court her client was “very upset, embarrassed and ashamed” of her conduct.

Catherine Jane Wey pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to a number of offences including unlawful stalking.

Ms Legrady told the court her client didn’t make an application for bail when the matters first went before court because she was “desperate” to get help for her mental health, have somewhere to sleep and food.

She said Wey grew up in the Wide Bay region where she allegedly suffered sexual abuse, domestic violence and “a lot of trauma”.

Ms Legrady told the court alcohol had been an issue for Wey for most of her life and she drank to “sedate herself” from remembering the trauma she had gone through.

She said Wey was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager and at the time of the offending she was not taking her medication and was homeless.

Ms Legrady said in the past Wey had completed a qualification in support work and had worked in the industry helping people with spinal injuries for about a year.

Magistrate Cameron Press sentenced her to nine months imprisonment with 140 days of presentence custody declared as time already served.

Wey was granted an immediate parole release and was also ordered to undertake 18 months of probation for the stalking offence.

Convictions were recorded.