Prison for man who spat on Candice Wyatt and her Channel 10 crew

TV reporter Candice Wyatt has spoken out after being spat on and verbally abused by a passer-by while filming a live cross.

A man was jailed after attacking Candice Wyatt. Picture: Andrew Tauber

Respected Channel 10 reporter Candice Wyatt has thanked police after a man who spat on her and verbally harassed and abused both her and a network camera crew for 45 minutes was thrown in jail.

Wyatt has recounted the distressing experience after the individual, who was charged with unlawful assault, was held to account for his actions in a Melbourne court late last month.

“Spitting on anyone is assault and the rest was sustained verbal abuse. I pressed assault charges that went to court last week and he went to jail for 53 days,” Wyatt said.

Candice Wyatt pressed assault charges over the incident.

Wyatt thanked police and her crew for responding to the incident. Picture: Julie Kiriacoudis

The upsetting and unnerving incident happened in August last year as Wyatt and her crew were between live crosses for 10 News beside the Yarra River across from the Royal Botanic Gardens.

The 45 minutes of verbal abuse and spitting incident was filmed by the 10 News team, was witnessed by a number of passers-by and Wyatt, who was extremely upset by the unrelenting behaviour of the individual, called police.

“What I was put through and what my crew was put through is completely unacceptable,” Wyatt said.

Wyatt said it was a reminder that a public place can be a workplace for a news crew.

“When we are out reporting and delivering information to the public we are in our workplace at that very moment, it could be anywhere.

“People need to understand that is our workplace and we have a right to feel safe.

“We don’t come into their workplace and randomly start abusing people and spitting on them, so people need to understand that there is a level of respect, we are performing our job, a job we are trained to do, a job I have done for 22 years and I am not going to stand for it which is why I pressed charges.

“A few of my colleagues from other networks have done the same because lockdowns and the pandemic over the past two years has caused an increase in violence against news crews across states, not just Victoria.

“This keeps happening and it needs to stop.”

Wyatt said Network Ten had beefed up security for its news crews following her experience.

“We now have to do a risk assessment every time we decide to do a live cross,” she said.

“We hire security now for things that we would never have in the past, one perfect example is Warnie’s funeral, because we have somehow become the target of this abuse even though we are just trying to deliver the information.

“Hopefully it is something that is not here to stay but it is the world we live in at the moment.”

Wyatt said she was grateful for the quick response of police on the day.