8 years' jail for pushing woman off platform

A former police worker who pushed a woman in front of a train at Sydney's Circular Quay has been sentenced to a minimum of eight years in jail.

Suzanne Kiloh, a former worker at The Rocks police station, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on the 59-year-old Margaret Schestopalov in December 2006.

The District Court heard Kiloh was intoxicated at the time of the incident, and when Mrs Schestopalov told Kiloh to stop spitting and cover her mouth when coughing, she then pushed her into the path of an oncoming train.

Mrs Schestopalov suffered a broken leg and neck in the incident, and spent six months in hospital.

She now lives in a residential care home.

In delivering his sentence, Justice Greg Hosking said he did not accept Kiloh's version of events and that being drunk did not remotely justify her actions.

"The way the grievous bodily harm was inflicted was horrific and had a nightmare quality to it," he said.

He also commended the train driver for his quick action in stopping the train before it hit Mrs Schestopalov.

Kiloh will be eligible for release in 2016.