Marina Smith set fire to a bin which spread to a flat in Glen Rd on March 30 last year. Photo / Gregor Richardson
Marina Smith set fire to a bin which spread to a flat in Glen Rd on March 30 last year. Photo / Gregor Richardson
A police officer has been left scarred after a Dunedin woman threw scalding coffee in her face, a court has heard.
Marina Joy Smith, 50, appeared in the Dunedin District Court after pleading guilty to injuring with intent to injure and arson, which occurred only weeks beforehand.
Judge Robert Spearjailed her for 21 months but acknowledged she would be released imminently given the time she had spent behind bars on remand.
Smith's life had almost totally unravelled last year, the court heard.
Her marriage had ended, she was estranged from her children, was using hard drugs and was hanging out with gang members.
On May 9, her family, who had previously trespassed her, allowed her to stay at their Pine Hill home since she had no other accommodation.
Fire crew attend to an arson in Glen Rd six weeks before Marina Smith's unravelling finally resulted in an attack on a policewoman. Photo / Gregor Richardson
But when her behaviour became erratic and she refused to leave, police were called.
Not even their attendance could persuade Smith to move on; instead, she went to the kitchen to make a coffee.
A psychologist's report found the defendant did not suffer from a mental illness but considered she was suffering from drug-induced psychosis at the time.
"That, to some extent, provides an explanation but certainly not an excuse as to how you came to act in that bizarre way," said the judge.
Counsel Andrew Dawson said his client — who wept throughout the hearing — was saddened by her actions.
He stressed her limited criminal history and attributed her indiscretions to deteriorating mental health.
"At the time of these offences she was essentially a different person," he said.
The judge imposed release conditions which would assist Smith once she left prison.
