A WOMAN has been jailed for seriously assaulting a policewoman, leaving the officer’s son anxious when his mother goes to work.
On July 17, Carina-Anne Berringer, 43, her partner and another person were drinking at home when police were called to a disturbance.
While her partner, Lance Cox, was being arrested on an unrelated matter he lashed out at officers and Berringer began to yell and interfere, not wanting him to be taken into custody.
A female officer arrived on scene to arrest Berringer for obstruction, but was punched by her twice in the face.
The officer was treated in hospital and in a victim impact statement she said she had to lie to her six-year-old son, who began getting scared when she went to work, about the large bruise under her eye.
Her son kept asking if a “naughty person” had hurt her and the officer needed to reassure him she would kiss him when she got home safely from work.
Today, Berringer pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court to single counts of obstructing police and serious assault of a police officer.
Berringer’s lawyer Ben Rynderman told the court his client had issues with alcohol and proposed she not serve time in prison, despite the most serious charge carrying a maximum jail term of 14 years.
Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist sentenced Berringer to three months prison for obstructing police and 15 months prison for the serious assault, to be suspended for two years after she serves five months.
Berringer was unemotional as the sentence was handed down and while she was taken into custody.