Woman Fined For Pushing Over Melbourne Cup Cop

A woman has been fined $800 (£390) after pleading guilty to pushing a policeman over at Australia's most prestigious horseracing event.

Sarah Finn, 24, was also ordered to pay court costs and pay for a new pair of glasses for superintendent Steven Cooper, the man she sent flying into a flower bed at the Melbourne Cup.

The whole episode was caught on camera as Finn walked up to the policeman as he was about to record an interview to talk about the behaviour of the 94,000-strong crowd.

Defence lawyer Anthony said in the Melbourne Magistrates Court that his client was "somewhat tipsy" and told how earlier she had been chatting to the police who had allowed her to sit on one of their motorbikes.

He said she had suggested the stunt to a member of the press who had said: "If you're going to do it, you better tell him first".

The lawyer pointed out one journalist had been holding Finn's handbag as she approached her target.

What she did was "reckless and stupid", he agreed.

The magistrate presiding over the case said she believed Finn had learned her lesson.