Police attacker appeals sentence

A woman is appealing the jail sentence she received after her involvement in an attack on police.

A woman jailed for her part in a vicious attack on two police officers in Dargaville on Christmas day has appealed her sentence.

Alissa Gooding, 27, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years by the Whangarei District Court in December after she earlier pleaded guilty to one charge of injuring with intent to injure.

She was among a group of people, including her partner, Joshua Mohetaue, partying at a house on Tirirau St in Dargaville on December 25, 2012, who tried to stop Constable Ewen Cumming from taking an arrested man to a patrol car.

Mr Cumming was set upon after he was forced to strike his police baton on Gooding's thigh when she tried to stop him from taking an arrested man to a patrol car. Gooding and others partying at the property kicked and punched the officer after he was knocked to the ground.

Constable Graham Gallaghan arrived to help his colleague but was knocked unconscious before firefighters from Dargaville stepped in and protected the police officers while waiting for more police back-up.

Gooding has filed an appeal against sentence in the Court of Appeal and the matter will be heard on June 12.

She pleaded for a non-custodial sentence when she appeared for sentencing, saying she had stopped drinking about an year ago and was a solo parent.

But Judge Duncan Harvey said the courts had an obligation to send a strong message that attacks on police officers carrying out their duty were totally and utterly unacceptable.

Gooding's partner Joshua Mohetaue, 30, was jailed for five years for his part in the attack after a Whangarei District Court jury found him guilty of injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.