Georganne Louise Clarke: Batavia Motor Inne squatter pleads guilty to trespass as demolition commenced

A homeless woman who refused to leave the derelict Batavia Motor Inne when bulldozers moved in to tear down the site has pleaded guilty to trespass, but not guilty to assaulting an officer. Georganne Louise Clarke, 45, appeared in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Monday where she pleaded guilty to trespass and three counts of breaching bail, and pleaded not guilty to assault public officer, carrying an article with intent to cause fear and two counts of obstructing police. Outside of court, police said Clarke refused to leave the abandoned Batavia Motor Inne when contractors moved in to demolish the site. At an earlier court appearance in Northbridge, Clarke claimed she had property at the derelict site and declared ownership of the land. Officer in charge Sen. Sgt Chris Martin previously alleged she struggled with police when they attended the complex, and bent a male police officer’s finger backwards. Clarke was one of many who squatted at the Batavia Motor Inne after it was left abandoned more than a decade ago. It was a known hotspot for sex crime, antisocial behaviour and alcohol-fuelled violence. In court, Clarke’s curfew condition was removed. She is next due in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Monday, June 10.