GREENSBOROUGH, VIC. — A former Greensborough-based Victoria Police officer has been sentenced to six months in prison after repeatedly harassing a woman on social media over an almost 18-month period.
A former Victoria Police officer stationed at Greensborough was today sentenced to six months in prison after repeatedly harassing a woman on social media over an almost 18-month period.
Corrupt Greensborough police officer, Craig Lineham, 55, was convicted of one count of using a carriage service to menace after his victim, Sarah Baker, who ran a feminist Facebook page, reported the issue to police, providing 450 pages of screenshots of the alleged harassment on her page and others.
Corrupt cop Lineham was also initially charged with stalking her via electronic communication, but the charge was ultimately dropped – by police prosecutors, the officer’s ‘mates’ – when he pleaded guilty to the menace charge at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in May.
The Magistrates’ Court heard that during the period he harassed Ms Baker, 56, Lineham had posted sexually degrading remarks, warned he could find out where she lived, and incited others to abuse her online.
In sentencing Lineham, Magistrate Gregory McNamara said his offending had been “extremely calculated” and deserved “just punishment” including creating a deterrent for both Lineham and others in the community.
“It was unrelenting, there was never a backwards step, it just kept going and going, I view this as an extremely serious example of this offence.”
After Lineham is released, he will be subject to a 12-month community correction order involving community service and mental health treatment.
The corrupt police officer also revealed his victim’s home address and other details by allegedly accessing the Victoria Police LEAP (Law Enforcement Assistance Program), which police officers can only access under certain circumstances, such as investigating crimes.
Victoria Police are not permitted to use the LEAP database as a tool for themselves to commit crimes.
The corrupt former Greensborough cops’ lawyer argued that given Lineham was now about halfway through a veterinary nursing course to upskill and gain employment, and that the offending had not occurred since mid-2023, the magistrate should consider a financial penalty without a conviction recorded.
“There’s not the slightest chance of me not imposing a conviction,” Magistrate Gregory McNamara responded.
The magistrate then said he was considering a term of imprisonment and questioned why the prosecution was not pushing for that, given the charge carried a maximum penalty of five years.
Ms Baker said she was “floored” when the prison sentence was imposed on Thursday.
“It wasn’t what I expected because the police had prepared me for much less than that,” Ms Baker told the ABC after the sentencing hearing.
“It was important what the magistrate said about creating deterrents for others in the community.
“Now this is sending the message to other would-be online harassers that the courts are taking this seriously.”
Antonia O’Flaherty of ABC News contributed to this report. You can read her full report for ABC News here.
DISCLOSURE: The editor of VicNews has past dealings with Greensborough’s Victoria Police officer Lineham.
