Michelle Lee Thorpe pleaded guilty at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to possessing cannabis, intimidating a law enforcement officer, assault, resisting emergency workers and being drunk in a public place.
Magistrate Victoria Campbell called Thorpe’s offending “disgraceful” and said it would have been frightening for anyone watching, let alone the victims.
“I’ve read the victim impact statement. She’s a police officer, she’s a mother, she has a family and your behaviour affected her profoundly and it is something she may carry with her for many years,” Ms Campbell said.
“You have a real issue with your substance abuse. You could end up, if not in jail, you could end up irrevocably harmed.”
The court heard just before midnight on May 11, 2020, two police officers found Thorpe sitting with another person on some grass on Oak St, Seymour.
The two police officers searched Thorpe and found a ziplock bag containing cannabis in her handbag.
Thorpe became erratic and started yelling and when one of the police officers tried to move her closer to the police van to provide light to continue the search, Thorpe coughed and spat in her face.
The police officers tried to arrest the woman to continue the search with Thorpe lunging to kick at the policewoman, but missed, yelling at her “I’m gonna find out where you live and go kill you and your kids”.
Another police officer arrived and assisted the police officers, with Thorpe saying to him, “I’m going to kill her”, and tried to look in the direction of the policewoman.
Ms Campbell imposed a two-year community corrections order, including 200 hours of unpaid community work.
Thorpe was also fined $200 for possessing cannabis.