Woman convicted of Parliament assault

Australian legal history was made at Darwin Magistrates Court today when a woman was convicted of an assault which occurred in the chamber of the Northern Territory Parliament.

Emma Birkeland-Corro, 23, was found guilty of assaulting a security officer during an invasion of parliament by pro-drugs protesters in May.

The court heard Birkeland-Corro jumped on Aaron Wigmore's back from a table known as the Repository of the Mace.

Mr Wigmore, who was escorting another protester from the chamber at the time, injured his knee as he fell.

Magistrate David Loadman repeatedly asked Birkeland-Corro whether she wished to participate in today's hearing.

She refused each time but made a written submission.

Mr Loadman said Birkeland-Corro's legal advice was so wanting it was "criminally stupid".

He found her guilty and advised her to reconsider her stance of non-cooperation but she remained defiant

Mr Loadman sentenced her to a fully suspended two-and-a-half year sentence.

The prosecutor told the court it was the first assault conviction arising from a parliamentary sitting.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: 06 December 2002
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Copyright: 2002 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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