A woman has been rebuked for abusing a disability worker who tried to stop her breaching COVID-19 rules by entering her disabled son's North Albury care home.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Renee Christian rushed past the man, who after she got inside had to phone triple zero.
Albury Local Court magistrate Michael Antrum said on Tuesday he accepted Christian did not embark on what she did with a view to upset or intimidate anyone.
IN OTHER NEWS:
IN OTHER NEWS:
But that, Mr Antrum said, was what the Griffith woman had done to a person who played "such an important role" in the community that was "already difficult enough".
"It's a role that often they don't get enough credit for."
The court was told Christian, now 40, and her husband went to their son's Independent Lifestyles Riverina home in Barooga Street - he has various health conditions, is deaf and non-verbal - on October 30 last year.
The carer was in the kitchen when he heard a knock on the door about 11.40am.
Police said he answered the door as the couple's son was asleep in bed.
The carer put his right foot behind the door, into which he pushed his chest, to stop them from getting inside.
"I want to see (her son)," Christian said, to which the carer replied: "I can't let you inside the house, but I can go and wake him up."
He told them this was because of COVID-19 restrictions.
"No," Christian said, "that's bull----, I'm coming in."
The carer then said he would get his manager to come and explain the situation.
"No, I'm coming in," she said. "You're hiding something. There's COVID everywhere, f---ing bring him outside."
Police said Christian continued to get closer to the victim, so much so that he couldn't close the door.
The couple got in and so the carer phoned triple zero.
Christian had been convicted in her absence of intimidation and, in relation to four sets of stolen keys, goods in custody.
Previously she had failed to front court, resulting in three fail to appear on bail charges.
Christian was placed on a 14-month community corrections order and fined $990.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter: @bordermail
- Follow us on Instagram @bordermail
- Follow us on Google News