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A New Zealand woman and her son accused of destabilising a Sydney suburb say they will fight deportation from Australia, for years if necessary.
Maria Brown, 43, and Prince Brown, 23, have sworn to take every possible measure to stay in Australia and return to Airds - the southwestern suburb which police said lived in fear of the woman dubbed the "Queen of Airds".
"I'm proud to be an Australian," Ms Brown, who has Samoan ancestry and holds New Zealand citizenship, told the Daily Telegraph. "We'll fight this all the way."
Speaking from Villawood Detention Centre's maximum security wing, she denied that she and her son deserved to have their permanent visas cancelled on character grounds.
"I've never been found guilty of anything, not that I know of," she said. "It's all gossip and a little copper trying to make a name for himself."
Police will not comment, but the Telegraph reported dismay among some officers that the Browns could delay their possible deportation with lengthy court actions.
Police spent six months gathering intelligence on the pair as they built a case to have them removed.
Ms Brown arrived in Australia in 1998. She has never worked - she says she raised a family as a single mother - and her contact with the police started the following year.
The Telegraph alleged she had been convicted of drug supply, drug possession, having stolen goods, intimidating police, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and stalking with intent to cause fear.
She had also been accused of attempting to bribe police.
A Housing Department spokesman said the family were evicted from public housing in July 2006 because of "ongoing and significant tenancy agreement breaches".
"This family had a considerable and detrimental impact on individuals and the community which was unacceptable," he said.
Mrs Brown's son is alleged to have used his considerable bulk to intimidate Airds residents.
- NZPA
