Teacher’s aide assaults emergency workers in ‘explosive outburst’

A mother has revealed the emotional reason she ‘couldn’t control’ her actions during a violent arrest at a park north of Brisbane.

A former teacher’s aide was today found guilty of assaulting two emergency service workers during an “explosive outburst” at a park in North Lakes north of Brisbane.

The Pine Rivers Magistrates Court heard Lisa Maria Wallace, 38, suffered from a long-term chronic mental illness that flared up due to family conflict on the morning of November 28.

Police were called to reports of a woman “running away while screaming”, leaving three children “visibly upset and shaken” in the car, according to police prosecutor sergeant Graham Turner.

Lisa Maria Wallace pleaded guilty to seriously assaulting a police officer and an ambulance worker during an arrest at North Lakes in November.

Officers located Wallace in nearby bushland in an “extremely emotional” state.

Wallace told police she “had a really bad day” and ran away in an effort to prevent her children from seeing her break down.

Family members, who arrived to collect the children, told police they had significant concerns for Wallace’s wellbeing, which prompted police to call the Queensland Ambulance Service for assistance.

Wallace was taken to Redcliffe Hospital and released the following day.

Wallace “blatantly refused” to be taken to Redcliffe Hospital, walked back to the car, and for the next 45 minutes verbally abused and obstructed both police and paramedics.

The court heard Wallace kicked an ambulance officer in the right arm, tried to drive off and violently resisted when police made moves to restrain and handcuff her.

Paramedics attempted to sedate Wallace at this time, but she thrashed her body such that the needle dislodged and hit a police officer, scratching him.

The second sedation attempt was successful.

Wallace was medically cleared and released from Redcliffe Hospital on November 29.

Her lawyer told the court the mother-of-four was concerned about “being locked up by police, unable to return to work and unable to return home and care for her children, causing her to enter a state of panic”.

Wallace appeared at the Pine Rivers Courthouse on Thursday, March 4.

“From that place of irrational fear her judgment was clouded and she acted in the manner she did.”

Wallace pleaded guilty to serious assault of a police officer and one count of serious assault of a public officer performing a function.

She expressed extreme remorse to the court.

Magistrate Trevor Morgan said the facts of the case indicated Wallace did not deliberately attack the emergency service workers.

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“There is an unfortunate and, to some minds, an increasing level of danger faced by police officers and emergency workers in dealing with members of the community, and any incident that results in an attack on one of those workers should be treated as a serious event,” Mr Morgan said.

“But as far as you’re concerned, and the community is concerned, the nature of (your mental illness) is that … explosive outbursts might occur.

“You can’t help if your condition flares up from time to time and causes odd behaviour … and there’s nothing to suggest you’ve been negligent (in caring for your mental health).

“It is a dangerous job emergency services do and your behaviour this night falls into a category of dangers to which they will always be exposed … and over which they have no control.”

Wallace was therefore sentenced to a two year, $2000 good behaviour bond and no conviction was recorded.

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