NT Police Detective Acting Commander Virginia Read charged with assault

A senior NT officer tasked with keeping police in line through the Professional Standards Command has been charged with aggravated assault.

A senior officer tasked with keeping Northern Territory police officers in line has been charged with aggravated assault.

Detective Acting Commander Virginia Read appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday, charged with one count of aggravated assault.

Virginia Read been charged with assault.

Read stood during a brief first mention appearance before Chief Judge Elizabeth Morris.

Her lawyer Ray Murphy indicated the senior police officer would be contesting the assault allegation and asked for a directions hearing date.

Read was served with a notice to appear, charged over the alleged assault in August.

NT Police previously said the incident was under investigation by the NT Police Crime Command.

The 55-year-old was part of the Professional Standards Command, a division of the police that investigates complaints against officers.

NT Police officer Virginia Read appeared in Darwin Local Court on Tuesday September 20 facing aggravated assault charges.

As recently as March 2022, she was quoted in the media in her role as the Detective Acting Commander for the Professional Standards Command.

The Neighbourhood Watch NT website also said Read was the vice-president of the board of management.

She was awarded the National Police Service Medal, according to the NT PFES annual report, in 2014-15.

Her case was adjourned to November 7 for a directions hearing.