Sian Calyun: Woman to be sentenced for kicking Geraldton police officer in face, prompting him to quit force

A former Geraldton police officer who was kicked in the face during a foreshore brawl has revealed the brutal attack was the final nail in the coffin that made him leave the WA Police Force. Adam Kelly opened up on the toll the incident has taken on his career and life, as his attacker, 23-year-old Sian Glenica Judith Joyce Calyun, awaits sentencing. She made her latest appearance in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Monday, when she was due to be sentenced for assaulting the then-senior constable in December 2022. But the case was adjourned so police body-worn camera footage could be played during sentencing. Calyun pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a public officer, obstructing public officers and disorderly behaviour in in March. In a December appearance, Calyun’s lawyer mentioned she may withdraw her guilty pleas, but that did not happen. Details of the attack were provided by police outside of court the day after Sgt Kelly was assaulted. He was 15 months into his role at the Geraldton station when he was left with a seven-stitch gash on his forehead and a black eye. On December 28, 2022, police attended the youth precinct at Geraldton foreshore where police say about 20 people were involved in a brawl. When Sen. Const. Kelly restrained a 22-year-old man on the ground, he was kicked in the face by Calyun and rushed to hospital. Sen. Const. Kelly spoke out following the ordeal and said when he got home from hospital, his seven-month-old child was scared and couldn’t recognise him. He said the incident had “gotten out of control” and would see a psychologist to seek help for his mental health. In court on Monday, police prosecutor Sgt Carey Owen called for the body-worn camera footage to be played during sentencing due to the “serious nature of the offence”. The defence counsel requested an adjournment to view the footage. A copy was provided to the court and the case was adjourned until Monday, February 19 for sentencing. Speaking to The Geraldton Guardian this week, Mr Kelly said the attack influenced him to leave the force and he was now enjoying work in another government agency. “I have no doubt that if I wasn’t kicked in the face I would still be in the (police force). (The district superintendent) was supportive and tried to keep me, but it was too little, too late,” he said. “Financially it has cost us a lot leaving the police, but I don’t think being assaulted is worth it. “My last few years I was spat on more and more and had to deal with more and more aggressive people.” Mr Kelly worked all over the State, completing his probation in Katanning before moving to Wyndham, Shark Bay and finally Geraldton. He worked in specialist units such as liquor enforcement, the rail inquiry team and regional operations group. Mr Kelly said the attack had left him with an ongoing issue with his right eye and the need to manage anxiety around stressful situations. “The (eye issue) can’t seem to be rectified as no doctor or optometrist can find an issue,” he said. Mr Kelly said being denied a placement in the water police also contributed to his decision to leave the force. “I have always been interested in water police having completed the police dive course and moved to Geraldton so that I could get my commercial boat licence (coxswains) . . . it was a big move for my young family,” he said. “During my time in Geraldton I had the opportunity to apply for water police but it was denied . . . and then I was kicked in the face.” Mr Kelly said the attack still haunted him. “To this day I go over the moment in my head and wonder if I should have just walked away and left it like other officers do, but I’m not like that,” he said. “The public, especially in Geraldton, do not and should not accept disorderly and abusive behaviour.” According to WA Police crime statistics, assaults against police in the Mid West-Gascoyne district rose 57 per cent in 2022-23 compared to the year before, up from 85 reported assaults to 134. In September 2023 alone, there were 29 reported assaults against Mid West-Gascoyne police — the highest monthly figure since the records began in 2007.