24yo woman given year for alleged high school assault, released from custody

A 34-year-old woman who was initially sentences to a year for an alleged assault at a local high school will be released from custody.

Transcript

00:00The court has today heard that Armidale Secondary College was placed into lockdown on the morning

00:07of March 25 during an incident in which police say two female students assaulted staff and

00:13police.

00:14The mother of one of those girls arrived at the school during the lockdown and demanded

00:18to see her daughter.

00:20Police say the woman, who was yelling and swearing outside the school office, refused

00:23to move on when directed.

00:25She was charged with failing to comply with a direction resisting and intimidating police.

00:30The 34-year-old faced court the same day and was sentenced to a year in prison but to be

00:34released on parole in June.

00:37During a sentence appeal in Armidale District Court today, the woman said a traumatic incident,

00:41her lifelong distrust of police and concern for her daughter's welfare contributed to

00:45her outburst at the school.

00:48The court heard the sentencing magistrate overlooked the woman's entitlement to a sentence

00:52discount for her early pleas of guilty.

00:55Defence Solicitor Guy Newby acknowledged his client caused great alarm at a public

00:59school and outside in a public place but asked the court to consider allowing the woman to

01:04serve her sentence in the community.

01:07Judge James Bennett upheld the appeal sentencing the woman to a 13-month intensive corrections

01:12order.

01:13She will have to adhere to good behaviour, treatment and drug abstinence conditions.

01:18In handing down his decision, Judge Bennett acknowledged the situation may have been diffused

01:22somewhat if the woman was granted even the briefest of access to her daughter.

01:26The two girls were arrested on the day of the incident but released without charge.