Taranaki woman spat blood at a police officer and kicked another

On two separate occasions, Fernaya Ratahi assaulted a police officer. One incident involved her spitting blood in a constable's face. Photo / Bevan Conley

A young woman with blood in her mouth tilted her head back, cleared her throat and then spat in the face of the police officer who was arresting her.

Fernaya Ratahi, 21, had just been put into a patrol car for disorderly behaviour when she launched the spit attack on a Taranaki constable, getting the woman in her face and upper body.

Her actions have since been slammed by Judge Noel Sainsbury who described the offending as "ghastly".

"I cannot strongly enough say to you Ms Ratahi how deeply disgusting and upsetting spitting at people is," the judge said in New Plymouth District Court on Monday.

"There will be many police officers who, if they had the choice, would prefer to be in a physical altercation than to be spat at."

But Ratahi was guilty of that too.

Only weeks after the spitting incident, she kicked another officer in the groin.

In court, the details of each occasion were heard, beginning with the first which was on July 14 last year.

That day, Police received numerous complaints from members of the public in relation to a vehicle.

Fernaya Ratahi appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Monday. Photo / Tara Shaskey

When officers located the car on a street in New Plymouth, Ratahi was found in the front passenger seat yelling at her partner, who was also in the vehicle.

At first, Ratahi complied with police orders and got into the patrol car but then she got out and walked away while yelling and swearing.

When she was told she was under arrest for disorderly behaviour, she ran and hid in a bush.

Ratahi was eventually apprehended and returned to the patrol car to be taken to the police station.

But during the trip, she leaned over an officer who was sitting next to her in the back.

The constable pushed Ratahi, who had fresh blood in and around her mouth, away in an effort to defend herself.

Ratahi then tilted her head back, cleared her throat and spat at the officer.

The following month, on August 11 last year, police apprehended Ratahi at the BP service station in Waitara as she had an active warrant for her arrest.

Ratahi became verbally abusive and kicked a constable in the groin.

As a result of the incidents, she appeared in court today for sentence on two admitted charges of assaulting police and one each of disorderly behaviour and failing to appear.

It was heard that at the time of the offending Ratahi was subject to a six-month good behaviour bond for previous violent offending.

That sentence could see her called back to court to be resentenced if she was to reoffend within that period - but police had not made an application to recall her.

Police prosecutor Lewis Sutton said he was not sure why that application had not been made but suspected it was because the earlier offending was linked to family events while her latest victims were police.

It was heard sentencing on the police assaults had previously been adjourned twice - once so Ratahi could go to rehab, which never eventuated, and again because she failed to engage with probation for the purpose of a pre-sentence report.

She had also failed to engage in restorative justice.

Judge Sainsbury said he had the option to remand Ratahi, who the court heard was in a "dysfunctional" relationship and had substance issues, into custody to get a pre-sentence report, which would advise the court of a suitable sentence.

But he didn't and instead ruled the most appropriate outcome was 100 hours of community work and 12 months of supervision.

"The blunt reality, Ms Ratahi, is this: You're now an adult, if you want run your life like this, consequences will follow," Judge Sainsbury warned her.

"Either some time the penny will drop, or won't. It's your responsibility."