A childcare worker and young mother who punched a police officer in the head as he tried to arrest her brother during a brawl in St Kilda on Sunday morning has been released on bail.
Video of the vicious brawl shows another police officer having his head repeatedly smashed into the ground, a court has heard.
Langwarrin woman Kayla Potts, 25, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday after she was charged with three other men over the shocking attack around 3am on Sunday.
Kayla Potts was bailed after allegedly punching a police officer.
Ms Potts, who lives with her mother, sat in the dock with a bandage on her forehead alongside her fiancee, plumber Jack Houldcroft, 27, who was allegedly also involved in the melee but did not apply for bail.
The court heard the group had attended a 30th birthday party when they were involved in a verbal altercation with two men.
When a transgender person intervened, Ms Potts’ brother, Trent Potts, allegedly kicked them in the genitals.
The court heard two police officers arrived a short time later and asked Mr Potts to step away from a taxi so they could establish what had happened.
Kayla Potts and Jack Houldcroft, two of four people charged following assaults that left two police officers injured in St Kilda.
At that point, Mr Potts allegedly fled the scene and the officers gave chase.
One of the officers caught up with Mr Potts, the court heard, while the other fell over at a tram stop on Fitzroy Street.
Mr Potts is then alleged to have tried to fight with the officer before Ms Potts came from the side and attacked him.
The officer then struck the woman with a Maglite torch, splitting her head open.
The brawl continued, as the men punched and kicked the officers, before an unknown woman arrived to help.
A fourth man allegedly attacked the other officer from behind before smashing his head into the ground six times.
The officer sustained a ruptured bicep, requiring hospital treatment and surgery.
The officer, in his 50s, was taken to Epworth Hospital and released with facial swelling, cuts and bruising to his forehead.
“I’m not an expert but looking at his cheekbone, it looks like it’s fractured,” Detective Senior Constance Jacob Laidlaw told the court.
The brawl continued, as the men punched and kicked the officers, before an unknown woman arrived to help.
A 26-year-old St Kilda man and a 38-year-old Frankston man were also arrested on Sunday night but have not yet appeared before the court.
They have all been charged with two counts of assault police, affray, violent disorder, intentionally cause injury and other assault-related offences.
Ms Potts, the mother of a three-year-old boy was granted bail after the court found she was not an unacceptable risk.
The court heard that police are still seeking other people who were involved in the incident and that they are reviewing CCTV and mobile phone footage.
More to come.
Tom Cowie is a journalist at The Age covering general news.
Most Viewed in National
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Childcare worker bailed after allegedly punching cop in St Kilda brawl - Sydney Morning Herald"
Post a Comment