Yeppoon resident Madison Jade Holt-Lea assaulted a cop by squeezing his testicle

A young woman who claims her arm was fractured when police allegedly used excessive force has been sentenced for assaulting a police officer causing bodily harm.

A young woman who claims her arm was fractured when police allegedly used excessive force in 2019 has been sentenced for assaulting a police officer causing bodily harm.

Madison Jade Holt-Lea, 25, pleaded guilty this month in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count of assaulting a police officer and causing bodily harm, public nuisance, serious assault, contravene police direction and failing to wear a seat belt.

Madison Jade Holt-Lea, 25.

The alleged fracture incident was subject to an internal police investigation, overseen by the Crime and Corruption Commission, which cleared the two officers of breaching criminal standards after a 15 month investigation.

Holt-Lea was never charged in relation to the 2019 incident.

Defence lawyer Brandon Selic, who provided medical documents and a character reference to the court, said Holt-Lea’s doctor stated she had suffered heightened anxiety and panic attacks since that alleged incident.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said police were in the process of arresting another female, on January 29, 2021 in Yeppoon, when Holt-Lea involved herself, attempting to grab the arresting officer’s police vest.

She said Holt-Lea continued even with her friends telling her to stop.

“Roughly over four minutes she has continued to wrestle members of the police service,” Senior Constable Rowe said.

The court heard Holt-Lea, who was intoxicated, twisted a police officer’s finger in this four-minute period.

Senior Constable Rowe said four minutes after the initial interaction with police, Holt-Lea had been handcuffed with her hands behind her back and she had grabbed an officer’s testicle as he had tried to get her into a police vehicle.

She said Holt-Lea had been compliant for a time prior to being placed in the car and this was an intentional and violent act on an officer which inflicted immediate pain which could be heard on the body-worn camera footage as he “screamed in pain”.

Senior Constable said she had been given a simple direction to get into the vehicle which she shouldn’t have had any issue complying with.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said this was a calculated and humiliating assault on a police officer.

“This officer has had extreme pain which leaves bruising afterwards,” she said.

“It’s verging on a sexual assault.

“She grabbed the testicle and squeezed.

“It’s got a particularly nasty flavour to it.”

Madison Jade Holt-Lea, 25.

Ms Beckinsale said a medical report provided to the court stated Holt-Lea’s anxiety was heightened in the presence of police.

Mr Selic said the delays in the matter being finalised were due to the lengths he had undertaken in “shaking the leaves on the tree” in relation to the 2019 police incident, where she was neither arrested nor charged, she received a fractured upper arm.

He said a complaint was made in early 2019 to the police who referred it to the CCC who referred it back to the ethical command.

“No action was ultimately taken but there was a thorough investigation,” Mr Selic said.

He said the prior incident provides some explanation for Holt-Lea’s behaviour on the night of this incident.

Mr Selic said it doesn’t excuse her behaviour, but did provide “some valuable context, particularly in light of her other mental health challenges”.

Ms Beckinsale said the mental health report stated Holt-Lea claimed she had felt “disassociated” during the incident in 2021, increased anxiety, thought what was happening to the female being arrested would happen to her and her sister, reporting she felt like “she was watching a dream” and had vague memories of the night.

She said the medical practitioner who wrote the report stated, after viewing the footage, that Holt-Lea did not present any signs of psychosis or panic attack, did not appear withdrawn or disconnected with the situation and her thought processes appear logical as she maintained conversation with others.

Madison Jade Holt-Lea, 25.

Ms Beckinsale said the practitioner also stated Holt-Lea did display behaviours of frustration and aggression towards police.

“When I played the footage for her in April last year, she was embarrassed and sorry for her action,” Mr Selic said.

He said he had not forwarded Holt-Lea’s apology to the victim officer and he had discussed compensation with her.

Mr Selic said Holt-Lea worked as a mine site cleaner at Moranbah and she had been keeping herself out of trouble.

Ms Beckinsale said the medical documents indicated Holt-Lea was prone to overreact towards police which she needed to address so there were no repeats of this incident.

She placed Holt-Lea on an 18-month probation order with no convictions recorded.

Ms Beckinsale also ordered her to pay $750 in compensation to the two officers (twisted finger and testicle squeeze) and fined her $713 for other offences.