Estelle Lancaster faces court for allegedly spitting on cop’s face
A young woman who allegedly spat in the face of a cop during a protest targeting a Labor event attended by Anthony Albanese has faced court.
Police & Courts
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A young woman who allegedly spat in the face of a cop during a pro-Palestine protest targeting a Labor Party bash in Brisbane where the Prime Minister was attending has faced court.
Estelle Kynara Lael Lancaster, 21, of Moorooka, is charged with a single count of serious assault police by spitting.
The incident allegedly occurred at a protest outside the Greek Club in South Brisbane where the Labor Party True Believers dinner, attended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and state Premier Steven Miles, was held on Friday.
Justice for Palestine Meanjin organised the protest to coincide with the dinner at the Edmondstone Street venue as they demand the Australian government and the Prime Minister “end its support and complicity in the Gaza genocide and immediately sanction apartheid Israel”.
Police said about 250 people attended the area and Lancaster was the only person arrested with “the large crowd predominantly protesting peacefully”.
Lancaster, who was supported in court by friends, applied for bail which was unopposed by police.
“We’re not officially objecting to bail. Although it’s a very serious charge she has no (criminal) history,” police prosecutor Sgt David Barnes told Brisbane Magistrates Court on Saturday.
Sgt Barnes applied for a disease test order which was not opposed by Lancaster’s Legal Aid duty lawyer Rajiv Gill.
“This defendant’s spat in the face of a police officer,” Sgt Barnes alleged.
Magistrate Andrew Hackett approved the order.
The court heard police had elected to prosecute the alleged offence as a summary matter meaning it will be dealt with in the Magistrates Court where lower penalties apply.
“I would have thought that’s a good call given the absence of priors, not that spitting on police is minor, allegedly,” Mr Hackett said.
Lancaster was granted bail with a condition she report to police once a week. The matter was adjourned to July 29.
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