On Melbourne Cup Day 2015, ‘Blue Dress Girl’ shot to infamy by pushing over a senior cop.
Months later, she fronted court as Sarah Jane Finn, 24, charged with assaulting police.
Finn had one of the more bizarre ascents to notoriety with what happened on the first Tuesday in November a decade ago, and the details that came out afterwards were just as eyebrow-raising.
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At 4.30pm that Cup Day, Acting Superintendent Steven Cooper of Victoria Police was standing near the member’s gate at Flemington, speaking on his mobile phone. He was wearing not only full police uniform, but a hi-vis vest, plus sunglasses.
Ironically, Acting Supt Cooper was about to deliver a statement to the media praising racegoers for their exemplary behaviour, at a turf event increasingly making viral news with drunken atrocities.
Finn, admittedly intoxicated, was standing nearby the waiting reporters and cameramen. She reportedly asked them: “What do I have to do to get on the news?”
Her lawyer, Anthony Brand, later claimed that media members encouraged her to do something; and that one even held her handbag.
From there, things went sideways. Or in Acting Supt Cooper’s case, backwards and over a bush.
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Sarah Finn shoves Acting Superintendent Steven Cooper.Source: Channel 7
Finn, resplendent in her blue dress and black high heels, had 10 grass-covered metres between her and the policeman. She began to run then shoved Acting Supt Cooper with both hands in the chest, sending him tumbling into some calf-deep juniper bushes.
Finn was quickly grabbed by two other police officers. Acting Supt Cooper was unharmed, though his reading glasses were broken.
“Very odd behaviour. She walked up to me and I thought, ‘What’s she doing, is she just come over say hello or something … Clearly not,” he told Channel 7 afterwards.
Sarah Finn watches as Acting Superintendent Steven Cooper falls after her stunning shove.Source: Channel 7
Finn’s handiwork was captured by a Channel 7 cameraman, Will Pristel, and it was viewed millions of times in the following days. Pristel remembers Finn coming up to media members for a chat.
“Next thing I was just looking at her and she was acting really weirdly and made a beeline for the police officer,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I thought, ‘This is a bit strange’. (My camera) was on and just panned around, zoomed and focused.
“He wasn’t even braced or ready for it and just copped it. She carried herself well, but I’ve never seen a girl run so fast in heels before.
“He wasn’t ready for it. I actually thought she was going to give him a hug or a kiss or something like that – nothing like that. It’s extraordinary.”
Sarah Finn turns back to stunned media after shoving Acting Superintendent Steven Cooper.Source: Channel 7
Finn was working as a digital marketer at the time. Perhaps she knew how much the incident would blow up. Perhaps not.
Earlier in the day, Finn had posed for a photo on top of a Victorian Police motorbike — while holding four bags of Red Rock Deli chips — and posted the image to a Facebook group called “I do what I want when I wanna”.
Brand told court that his client had been “somewhat tipsy” and “jovial” while “fraternising” with police before her moment of madness.
Sarah Finn is led away by police after her infamous Melbourne Cup Day incident.Source: Supplied
Acting Supt Cooper didn’t know what hit him.
“I’m copping it from mates all over the world,” he said.
“I thought she was one of the journalists approaching me and next thing I know she’s knocked me over.
“Unfortunately instead of giving the news I ended up making the news.”
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Sarah Finn atop a police motorcycle earlier that Melbourne Cup Day.Source: Supplied
While Finn’s behaviour was on the low end of the criminal scale, it came out that it wasn’t her first brush with the law.
She was charged with car theft in 2011, then multiple drug-related charges and driving offences in 2013; later downgraded to dealing with the proceeds of crime and possessing a weapon, which drew a conviction and $700 fine.
Brand said during Finn’s court appearance over the Cup incident that she suffered from anxiety and also had a history of “poor impulse control”. He also claimed she had paid a heavy price for such a public error of judgment.
“She has been subject to vilification in the press,” he said. “She has been threatened on social media, mostly by men, your honour.”
Sarah Finn leaves the magistrate’s court after copping a fine for shoving over a policeman on Melbourne Cup Day 2015.Source: News Corp Australia
Multiple drug and driving-related charges followed her 15 minutes of fame moment.
She escaped with a relative slap on the wrist for the Cup incident. In total, she was fined $800, plus $117 in costs and $150 for the broken glasses — $1067.
“I accept it was not malicious. I accept that it was reckless and stupid but you meant no harm,” magistrate Megan Aumair said, noting that Finn had suffered a “harrowing ordeal” by being suddenly thrust into infamy.
Finn expressed remorse and apologised to Acting Supt Cooper.
“My level of intoxication is no excuse,” she told Channel 7 after being charged.
“I deeply apologise for my actions. I acknowledge a massive error in judgment on my behalf.”