Kooriarna Gomes appeals prison sentence after group attack on 76-year-old ex-police officer at Goonellabah

A Casino woman has appealed a jail-term after she encouraged a group attack on a 76-year-old ex-cop, punched the man and smashed his phone in a Lismore street. Here’s the latest.

Ezkiel Copeland (top) and Tyreece Gomes (bottom) have been sentenced at Lismore District Court to jail for attacking an elderly man in 2023.

A Casino woman has appealed a jail-term after she encouraged a group attack on an elderly former cop, punched the man and smashed his phone in a Lismore street.

Kooriarna Gomes faced Lismore Local Court and pleaded guilty to affray, intimidation and stealing.

The 20-year-old was sentenced in August by Magistrate Jeff Linden to 15-months prison with a non-parole period of one-month but is appealing in Lismore District Court.

Gomes was with a group including co-offenders Ezkiel Copeland, 23, and Tyreece Gomes, 21, at Shearman Dr, Goonellabah about 2.30am on February 8 last year.

Tyreece Gomes has been sentenced over the attack. Picture: File

The group damaged a caravan belonging to a 76-year-old resident, a police officer of three decades, who was then attacked, police state in court documents.

When the victim tried to record the group on his phone, the younger Gomes punched him and stole the device.

She was arrested two weeks later at Casino.

The offender said she spotted the victim filming and smashed the phone so any footage of the encounter would be destroyed, police state.

She told another resident of the street: “I’ll come smash your f--king phone, you white c--t.”

Ezkiel Copeland also faced sentencing at Lismore. Picture: Facebook

Police state Kooriarna urged the group to attack the ex-cop and shouted: “Hit him, hit him with the c--t, f--king hit him”.

The man was struck in the leg with a timber fence post by Copeland during the attack, while Tyreece Gomes threw a 20cm pane of glass at the 76-year-old, the court heard.

The older Gomes has also lodged a District Court sentence appeal after being convicted and sentenced to two years jail, with a non-parole period of 15 months.

Lismore Court House. Picture: Savannah Pocock

He pleaded guilty to damaging property, intimidation, affray and failing to appear in accordance with bail.

Copeland pleaded guilty to affray, being armed with the intention to commit an indictable offence, and two counts each of breaching bail and assault causing actual bodily harm.

He was initially sentenced to 15 months imprisonment with a non-parole period of ten months, That sentence was reduced to 12 months on appeal, with a non-parole period of five months.