Highpoint SC cop kicker’s sentence too light: DPP
A TEENAGER who avoided jail and a conviction after kicking a policeman in the head at a Melbourne shopping centre got off too lightly, Victoria’s prosecutions authority says, lodging an appeal.
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A TEENAGER who avoided jail and a conviction after kicking a policeman in the head at a Melbourne shopping centre got off too lightly, Victoria’s prosecutions authority says, lodging an appeal.
The 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty to assaulting the officer at Maribyrnong’s Highpoint shopping centre in December.
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He was sentenced in the Children’s Court to a nine-month probation order without conviction.
Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Gavin Silbert QC lodged an appeal against the sentence on Friday on the basis it was manifestly inadequate.
Victoria’s police union also criticised the punishment earlier this month, saying it did not match the seriousness of the crime.
“The outcome probably doesn’t meet with the expectations of our members and a few people in the community will rightly question this,” Police Association Secretary Wayne Gatt said at the time.
“One of our members was simply out there arresting a shoplifter when he was subjected to an unprovoked, violent attack, kicked in the face.”
Mr Gatt was disappointed a criminal conviction was not recorded against the teen.
“An unprovoked attack on a police officer in Victoria is serious and it should be met with a conviction,” he said.
At the time the state’s Attorney-General Martin Pakula defended the court’s decision but said he could understand the police union’s disappointment.
“But I don’t think any one decision gives you a complete story of what’s going on in our youth justice system,” he said.
The appeal will be dealt with by the County Court.