Woman breaks MSD staf fer’s hip, wrist

An 18-year-old woman who had been trespassed from a Ministry of Social Development office slipped into the building and assaulted a staff member so violently that she broke her hip and wrist.

Latia Tipa-McQueen assaulted the staffer at Work and Income New Zealand’s Sydenham branch in Christchurch on July 30.

Tipa-McQueen had previously been trespassed from the office but ‘‘ghosted’’ in with a staff member and forced her way through a door and past security. When a woman staffer confronted her about the trespass, Tipa-McQueen pushed her over before kicking her three times.

Yesterday, the Christchurch District Court was told the 64-year-old victim’s injuries were severe and recovery would be slow. The woman suffered a broken hip and wrist, and extensive bruising.

In her victim impact statement, the woman told of being unable to walk without a frame or crutches, and having to have her house modified because of mobility problems, after previously regularly walking, cycling and enjoying social outings with friends.

The victim said she could not understand why she had been attacked. In 25 years at the ministry, nothing like this had ever happened to her.

Tipa-McQueen had earlier admitted a charge of intentionally injuring the woman, as well as charges of threatening and assaulting staff at a bank branch when she was refused a debit card.

The bank staff had not been seriously injured but were left shaken and remained ‘‘unsettled’’ when out in public because of threats Tipa-McQueen made to have members of two gangs deal with them.

Tipa-McQueen had also been convicted for failing to come to court while she was on bail.

She was on bail at the time of the Work and Income assault.

The court was told Tipa-McQueen had been using synthetic drugs since she was 13 years old and methamphetamine since she was 15. She had been using synthetics at the time of both violent incidents.

Judge Quentin Hix said Tipa-McQueen’s offending warranted a jail term of 47 months but reduced it for her guilty pleas, her youth, and for personal factors, to an end sentence of 18 months.

Judge Hix granted leave for her to apply for home detention during her jail sentence if an arrangement became available for a good rehabilitation plan, either with support from an alcohol and drug-rehabilitation organisation, or at a residential programme.