A Sydney lawyer has been convicted of assault for kneeing a police officer in the groin at Sydney’s Vivid Festival last year.
Sophie Holt was allegedly intoxicated when she was detained on May 26 last year during the festival in The Rocks.
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She denies she was drunk, but police bodycam captures her slurring her words as officers attempt to organise her a lift home.
“I’m going to remind you that I’m an officer of the court,” she can be heard telling one of the officers.
Security footage shows her getting into a taxi before hanging out the back window.
That’s when the police stop her again, leading to the moment of violence.
“Don’t kick him, don’t kick him, you don’t need to kick him,” one of the officers can be heard saying.
The other says: “Knee me in the nuts again and you’re going to get charged.”
Within seconds, she’s being detained and told to put her hands behind her back.
By law in New South Wales, police can detain a person in a public place if they’re deemed to be overly intoxicated, particularly if their actions could injure themselves or another person.
Holt claimed in court on Wednesday that she accidentally kicked the officer, but the Magistrate didn’t agree.
“It was intentional,” the court was told.
“She is significantly shorter than the officer and had to lift her knee to reach his groin.
“This constitutes an assault.”
She was handed a conviction and given a 12-month good behaviour bond.
Her lawyer has indicated that it will be appealed.
