A woman charged with multiple offences, while serving court orders imposed as recently as February, was placed on a seven-month Intensive Correction Order - formerly known as a suspended sentence and the most serious order that can be served outside of prison.
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Ashley Cross of Mortimer Street, Mudgee, pleaded guilty to two sets of matters that were before Mudgee Local Court last Wednesday (June 3, 2020).
The first being 'Contravene prohibition/restriction in Apprehended Violence Order (Domestic)' and 'Custody of knife in public place'. The provisional AVO was put in place on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
Conditions of which included that Cross not approach or contact the Person In Need Of Protection (PINOP). However, just two days later, on the evening of Thursday, March 5, she breached the order.
Then during the afternoon of the following day, she was charged with having a knife at Mudgee's Lions Park.
The 25-year-old was again charged with 'Contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (Domestic)', along with 'Resist officer in execution of duty' and 'Assault officer in execution of duty', following a separate incident on Sunday, March 29, 2020.
That evening, police had received information from an anonymous source that Cross was at the PINOP's place of residence. Officers attended the location soon after and asked the PINOP if Cross was present, which was confirmed.
During the conversation - at the front door - they have then seen her in the house, walking into a bathroom and slamming the door behind her.
One officer went outside, to ensure that Cross didn't try to escape through the window - and it was noted that she was attempting to push the window out. She was told through the bathroom door that she was under arrest.
Eventually police entered the room and Cross began resisting arrest and lashing out at them. She even attempted to bite. In the struggle she was brought to the ground and while down she kicked one of the officers to their leg.
Cross was handcuffed and taken to the police vehicle, along the way she continued to thrash about and yell.
The defendant, who represented herself in court, said that her actions during the latter incident escalated as a result of her fear. However, Magistrate David Day questioned this.
"Why did you do this? You said you were afraid of going to jail, but assaulting police will get you there," he said. And added, "the task of police in the community is difficult and thankless".
In noting Cross's "history of offences as an adult", his honour said that she'd been serving bonds imposed by the court as recently as February 2020.
Which, along with breaching the AVO, he said pointed to her "obvious contempt for orders of the court". "It's clear that Ms Cross just does what she wants to do," he said.
She was placed on an Intensive Correction Order, an option that's the equivalent of a suspended prison sentence in the past. With a contained condition that she abstain from drugs and complete rehabilitation.
