Christopher Hancock: Coogee man attacked woman, coughed on police officer

A man was caught violently attacking a woman at a Sydney cemetery, with the ordeal only ending when two brave strangers walked by and heard the victim’s screams.

A court heard a Coogee man’s record was “against him” as he faced the law for choking a woman while she screamed for help – before being stopped by two women walking nearby.

Christopher Hancock, 30, was sentenced for assaulting a woman and a police officer, resisting police in execution of their duty, and contravening an AVO at Waverley Local Court on Tuesday.

According to facts tendered to court about 7.45am on February 17, two women were walking near the cemetery at South Coogee when they heard loud voices and shouting – and heard a woman say: “get off me, get off me, stop”.

The two witnesses shouted at Hancock as he stood over the woman who was lying on the ground, the facts state.

The witnesses saw him push the woman to the concrete by placing his hand on her.

One of the witnesses began to approach Hancock and the woman, shouting: “you can’t do that, get away, leave her alone”, according to police facts.

The assault occurred at a cemetery near Coogee headland. Source: Supplied

Hancock turned to them and said in a threatening manner; “What are you going to do about it?”

The facts state one of the women stayed with the victim and comforted her while the other called triple-0.

Two woman walking near the cemetery heard the victim’s screams. Picture: Sam McBeath

Police arrived a short time later and immediately saw Hancock in a nearby laneway.

Hancock moved aggressively toward the police and said to them, “what do you want, she pushed me”.

At this point one of the witnesses told police the Coogee man had assaulted the woman, whereby they handcuffed him and arrested him for assault.

Police, who noticed there was a ‘significant amount’ of blood on the victim’s hands heard she was pushed by Hancock, causing her to fall to the ground and cause a blood clot on her forehead.

While pacing up and down at the scene, Hancock asked one of the police officers, “would you like me to spit on you?” telling her “get the Covid mate, I’ve got it come on” and then coughing in her direction.

Hancock was sentenced at Waverley Local Court.

Two other officers held Hancock back to stop him coughing on the other officer while he continued to resist, before he was taken to Maroubra police station.

The woman was also taken to the police station where she was treated for injuries, and was later taken to Prince of Wales Hospital.

Hancock lives with his wife who he has been married to for six years, the facts state. However an AVO protecting his wife was in place until Wednesday, including the conditions that he not assault, stalk or threaten her, or go within 100m of any place where she lives or works.

Magistrate Reg Bartley told the court the eastern suburbs man’s record “doesn’t help” his case, after the court heard Hancock has previous charges of resisting a police officer.

Hancock was convicted and sentenced to 12 months jail beginning February 17 and expiring on 16 February 2023, with a non-parole period of seven months.

The magistrate convicted Hancock for contravening his AVO and sentenced him to a conditional release order for two years.