Garygaz
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Allahu akbarA MAGISTRATE had described the Muslim woman's crime as ''malicious'' and ''ruthless'' and sentenced her to six months' jail for falsely accusing a police officer of trying to rip off her veil during a random breath test.
Yesterday, flanked by a scrum of about 20 men screaming ''Allahu Akbar'' (God is great), Carnita Matthews again emerged from court, having successfully appealed against her conviction of knowingly making a false complaint.
Mrs Matthews, 46, had been stopped by a highway patrol officer last June at Woodbine, in south-west Sydney, and had allegedly refused to remove her veil so that he could identify her.
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Protected ... Carnita Matthews. Photo: Nick Moir
Moments later, he had fined her for not properly displaying her P-plates and she began arguing with him outside the car.
In a video played to the NSW District Court yesterday, the mother of seven is seen shouting at the officer that he is racist, the fine was unfair and she would not accept it. She was aware that she was being recorded. ''You are racist. All cops are racists … you are feeling guilty, I can see it in your eyes,'' she said. ''You know you are giving me a ticket for crap.'' She threatened to take him to court.
The video showed him reaching into the car to breath-test the woman but he is not seen touching her veil. A statutory declaration given to Campbelltown police two days later said: ''I felt very uncomfortable so I partly lifted my veil. He wasn't satisfied with that so he moved closer to me in a threatening manner, moved his hand closer to my veil where I felt that he was going to rip it off my face. I then in fear before lifting up my veil stated I am not allowed to show my face.''
Yesterday, Judge Clive Jeffreys said there was no evidence the statutory declaration had been made by Mrs Matthews or even that it was knowingly false.
''All we know is that a person with a black burqa came in [to Campbelltown police station] with a man in a brown suit with an envelope and that's it,'' he said.
''I'm not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that she made the complaint and even if I was … I would not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that it was knowingly false.''
He said the signature on the complaint was also very different to the one on her licence.
Judge Jeffreys will deliver his formal judgment tomorrow.
fun times, great classic hits
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/woman-con...ifting-lie-set-to-go-free-20110620-1gbzk.html