Melbourne Magistrates’ Court: Monica Goch drank 20 shots before assaulting police

A woman who smashed 20 shots of alcohol to celebrate turning 20 viciously attacked a police officer responding to noise complaints at a Glen Iris Airbnb.

A Melbourne woman who assaulted a police officer with a group of friends in Glen Iris says she drank 20 shots of alcohol for her birthday before taking part in the violent affair.

Monica Goch appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Monday, where it was revealed

that on January 10, 2021, Sergeant Victoria Fields and Constable Ryan Williams responded to multiple noise complaints at an Airbnb on Malvern Rd.

They spoke to Goch and a co-accused, who were “both argumentative and appeared to be alcohol-affected”.

Soon after they saw a car leave the complex carrying Goch and two others, pulling

over the vehicle on Osborne St.

While the officers were trying to breath test of one member of the group, Goch turned on her mobile phone’s torch and shone it in the officers’ faces.

She and a co-accused tried to intimidate Sgt Fields by standing within arm’s reach and being verbally aggressive.

Another co-accused arrived and the group of four became aggressive towards both officers, assaulting them.

Sgt Fields was struck to the head and face.

She was thrown to the ground and hit in the head and shoulders, with one person kicking her head twice.

Sgt Fields yelled at the offenders to get off her.

She received a concussion, an injured shoulder, and bruising in the assault.

Constable Williams was also assaulted and managed to arrest some members of the group during the ordeal.

When Goch was interviewed she said she only remembered being tackled by the police.

“I took about 20 shots because I turned 20,” she said.

The court heard it was possinble Goch “interpreted the presence of police as confrontational and distressing”, particularly when a man was involved.

Goch was born in a Kenyan refugee camp.

Her family came to Australia from Sedan in 2006 and to Melbourne in 2013.

Magistrate Rosemary Falla called Goch the “principal offender” in the assault — though not the instigator — and said she had been “clearly obstructionist”.

She referred to Goch as “rude, offensive, belligerent, and aggressive”.

Sgt Fields was said to now be hesitant in immediately offering people assistance.

In a hearing involving co-accused Anna Bako, who dodged jail for the incident, the officer said she still experienced “excruciating pain”.

“I still can’t lift my son up properly and cuddle him like I used to,” she said.

Goch pleaded guilty to assault in company and recklessly causing injury to an emergency worker.

She was sentenced to six months in prison.