Tanika Crisp-Bensley avoided conviction after punching a police officer in Bowral

An aspiring nurse from a Southern Highlands aged care facility has avoided conviction for punching a police officer after she dropped her phone outside a Bowral watering hole.

A teenage carer at a local aged care facility has avoided conviction after she admitted to punching a police officer outside a Bowral pub earlier this year.

Tanika Jade Jean Crisp-Bensley, 19, appeared in Moss Vale Local Court on Tuesday after pleading guilty to hindering police in the execution of their duty and assaulting a police officer in Bowral.

The court heard the Renwick resident was at the Bowral Hotel on the night of August 7 when police were performing a high-visibility patrol at the venue. Police facts show Crisp-Bentley came to the attention of police when she followed them out of the pub as they escorted a young man outside for questioning.

Tanika Jade Jean Crisp-Bensley pleaded guilty to punching a police officer outside a Bowral pub in August.

According to the court documents, Crisp-Bensley stood beside the young man and began to argue with police at around 10pm. Despite being told to move away several times, police facts show the teenager continued to argue with police.

The police state Crisp-Bensley was “uncooperative, argumentative, and began to resist” as they attempted to arrest her for interfering with a police investigation. According to the facts, an officer sat her down on a brick wall outside the pub and the teen tried to make a phone call on her phone at the same time the officer tried to take it, causing her to drop the phone.

Crisp-Bensley then “lashed out” and punched a senior constable in the stomach with her fist, police facts reveal. The incident was recorded by police on a body worn camera.

The court heard the assault was “out of character” for the teen, who has a nursing certificate and works as a carer at a local retirement village. Her lawyer Brian Hanrahan said the offence was “simply a matter of youth and misunderstanding”.

“The defendant was upset, she was affected by alcohol,” he said.

“She did not understand in any measure the seriousness of the occasion.”

Mr Hanrahan told the court Crisp-Bensley has a passion for working in aged care and is working towards a qualification as a registered nurse. The court heard the teen, who has no criminal history, is very remorseful for her actions.

Tanika Jade Jean Crisp-Bensley appeared in Moss Vale Local Court on Tuesday October 5.

Magistrate Mark Douglass reminded the court the offences carry a combined maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment due to the severity of the charges.

“In relation to police, they should be and are considered vulnerable victims,” he said.

“They are at the front line of emergency situations”.

Magistrate Douglass took into consideration Crisp-Bensley’s young age, her employment and her future aspirations when he determined her sentence.

“She poses no future risk to police,” he said.

“She’s not a person I think we’ll see back in court.”

The magistrate found Crisp-Bensley guilty of both hindering police and assaulting police but did not record a conviction.

He ordered the teen to complete a nine-month conditional release order and an 18-month conditional release order, and to attend anger management and impulse control courses.