Roma woman Chantelle Maree Graham faces Roma Magistrates Court for wiping menstrual blood on a police officer

In a bizarre incident, a Roma court has been told a 27-year-old woman stripped naked when police responded to her attempt to escape from hospital, but what happened next was the ‘terrible’ act that landed her behind bars.

Chantelle Maree Graham pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court a number of offences.

A Roma woman has been jailed for a number of offences, including a “terrible” and “offensive” incident where she wiped menstrual blood on a police officer.

Chantelle Maree Graham was sentenced to serve two months in jail after she pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, possession of a knife in a public place, and obstructing a police officer.

Graham appeared in Roma Magistrates Court on July 17, where the 27-year-old mother of two pleaded guilty to a total of four charges.

Graham was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in relation to unrelated incidents which took place in Roma between January 29 and February 4, 2024.

Police prosecutor Ellysha Geddes said that while police were looking for Graham in relation to those matters, they found her in a public place in possession of a knife.

The court was told that in a separate incident, police were called to Roma Hospital after a female mental health patient had “absconded from the emergency department” on May 7.

Ms Geddes said when police arrived, Graham voluntarily went back to the emergency department, but became “argumentative and disruptive,” and demanded to go home.

“Police remained at the hospital due to (Graham’s) defiant and uncooperative behaviour escalating,” Ms Geddes said.

The court was told Graham was put in a private room, where she was told by police that she had to stay.

Ms Geddes said Graham proceeded to strip naked while arguing with police and repeatedly tried to leave.

“The defendant then wiped her hand on her vagina, gathering menstrual blood, and held out her hands to police,” Ms Geddes said.

“Police then restrained Ms Graham, and as a result blood was placed on officers.

“Subsequently she was sedated.”

Ms Geddes drew attention to Graham’s criminal history, telling the court that at the time of her most recent offending, the 27-year-old was on a probation order after pleading guilty to a common assault charge in August 2023.

She said on that occasion, Graham had assaulted a person who was unknown to her in Woolworths at Roma.

Graham was represented by Leslie Reid who told the court that in May 2024, when Graham was charged with obstructing a police officer, she had been off her medication for several weeks.

“She suffers from PTSD, borderline personality disorder, depression and anxiety,” Ms Reid said.

She told the court Graham had been sexually assaulted from a young age, and had been a victim of domestic violence.

Magistrate Michael Wood described Graham’s behaviour towards officers while in hospital as “terrible”.

“It is clear that the offending on this occasion is – I think offensive is the phrase that’s been used,” Mr Wood said.

He sentenced the woman to 12 months imprisonment for the assault occasioning bodily harm, one month for possession of a knife in public, and one month for obstruction of a police officer, to be served concurrently.

The woman was also fined $300 for the breach of probation, and resentenced in relation to the original common assault offence, for which she was sentenced to another month imprisonment.

Mr Wood said he believed the woman should serve some time, and set her parole release date as September 17.

Once Mr Wood’s sentence was delivered, the court adjourned to allow for police officers to take Graham into custody.

Originally published as Roma woman Chantelle Maree Graham faces Roma Magistrates Court for wiping menstrual blood on a police officer