Alleged Qld-NSW border protester bailed over assault on cop

A man has been bailed against the wishes of prosecutors, after allegedly punching a police officer at a border protest.

A man has faced court accused of assaulting a police officer at the weekend.

Lee James McLean, 39, of Banora Point on the Gold Coast, was one of three people arrested at a border protest at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads on Sunday.

Gold Coast police acting chief superintendent Rhys Wildman said it would be alleged a sergeant seconded to border patrol duty from Brisbane approached McLean to speak to him about his involvement in a larger protest the previous weekend.

The officer was then allegedly punched in the face.

McLean appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday via audio link from an isolation cell in Southport watch-house charged with serious assault of a police officer causing bodily harm and resisting arrest.

Police opposed a bail application by McLean, saying the charges were “incredibly serious” and he might flee.

The prosecutor told the court that Sergeant Gordon Mitchell was punched twice in the face, causing a split lip.

She said McLean had breached Covid-19 restrictions by entering Queensland.

The duty lawyer told the court McLean had no criminal history and ran his own business in NSW, and had entered Queensland to visit his injured mother.

A border protest the previous weekend. Picture: Scott Powick/NCA NewsWire

She said McLean was in the area of the protest but was not actively involved, and contended that police were heavy-handed and that he had himself been injured after being held down by his neck.

“He instructs that he was quite intimidated by the way the police approached him,” the lawyer said.

The prosecutor said McLean put up a struggle and had to be overpowered and restrained.

The court heard that McLean might be ordered to undertake two weeks’ quarantine if granted bail and would be escorted back across the border by police.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie said the charges were serious but agreed to give McLean bail, on condition that he obey all Queensland and NSW public health directives.

McLean told court he would quarantine if required but said: “I’m an Australian… I live in this border community and this is all a bit too much.”

He was remanded to reappear in court on October 5.

About 100 people were involved in the protest, with some hurling insults at police.

Police outnumbered protesters at the demonstration, with that riot squad and mounted police unit officers brought up from Sydney to patrol the Tweed side of the border.

It followed a much larger protest the previous weekend, attended by about 1000 demonstrators.