Balgo woman spared jail over COVID spitting assault on paramedic

A Balgo woman who, while COVID-positive, spat on, bit and punched a paramedic and two security officers at Broome Regional Hospital has narrowly avoided jail.
Appearing in Broome Magistrates Court via video link from Balgo, a remote community south of Kununurra, 37-year-old Genevieve James was sentenced to seven months imprisonment — suspended for 12 months on the condition she does not reoffend — after she pleaded guilty to an assault which saw three health workers spat on, punched and bitten while attempting to help the offender.
At 4:45pm on April 4, James — while COVID-positive — lashed out at health staff while being attended to on the ambulance ramp of Broome Regional Hospital following an attack by two women on Male Oval.
According to James’ lawyer Brianna Lonnie, who was in contact with her client at the time of the incident, the Male Oval assault had left James extremely distressed and her actions were a “trauma response”.
Ms Lonnie also said she received a text from James around this time saying she “would kill herself”.
According to the lawyer, James asked to go to the bathroom, a request Ms Lonnie said was intended to give her client a space to calm down.
After she was denied her request, James flew into a rage and began verbally abusing the hospital staff, calling one a “white c...” before punching a paramedic in the face.
Two security officers rushed to the scene where they attempted to restrain James.
The distressed woman then pulled down one officer’s mask, spat in her eye and bit her wrist with enough force to bend the officer’s metal bracelet.
James then threw a chair at the second security officer, which struck him in the arm.
Tackled to the ground, James bit the officer before locking her legs around the victim’s neck and striking him in the face.
Police arrived and placed the woman under arrest.
The sentencing brings an end to a long and contextually complex case, which was stretched over several months due to James’ various necessary psychiatric evaluations which uncover a life of trauma and vulnerability.
Ms Lonnie outlined various instances which led to an overall distrust of the town and its people, one being an assault in May when she was stabbed eight times.
The prosecution offered little to counter the argument, saying they would “have to act on the side of the victim” but “in the face of all we’ve heard today, I believe a suspended term is appropriate”.
Magistrate Deen Potter agreed and said, despite the severity of her crime, James is “a person, who herself is extremely vulnerable” and is “not a person suited to general deterrence”.
James was handed one three-month and two two-month terms of imprisonment for the three assaults, to be removed in 12 months if she does not reoffend.
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