In a one-of-a-kind interview, Senior Constable Anthea Beck recounted the events that transpired when she and a fellow officer attended to a dispute concerning face masks at the Exeter Hotel in October 2021.
The offender, Raina Cruise, who had been vocally opposed to vaccines, set upon Beck, who was 10 weeks pregnant at the time.Â
“(There was) immediate hostility, there was no lead up, there was no warning,” Beck said.
“She just reached out, knocked the hat off my head, grabbed a handful of hair and just dropped to the ground.”
Cruise was found guilty over the attack, but was initially given a suspended sentence, meaning she wasn’t required to serve time behind bars.
“The suspended sentence was not in line with societal expectations of what happens when you assault police,” Beck said.
Following the appeal’s success and the imposition of a custodial sentence, Beck said she felt “relief and satisfaction”.
“It sends a message to the community that if you assault an emergency worker, that you can expect a custodial sentence.”
Despite the ordeal, Beck intends to continue her career.
“Being a police officer obviously has its ups and downs, and this is just a down of (an) otherwise very fulfilling career,” she said.
“It is an ongoing journey, I hope that this sentence can have some closure to that journey.”
Initially, Beck was concerned that the stress from the incident might have harmed her unborn child. However, she was relieved when her daughter, Marcella, was born in perfect health and thriving.Â
