Chantelle Lee Berges convicted of assault following Ramsgate Hotel slap

A woman was having a drink at Ramsgate Hotel with friends when she was slapped without provocation, a court has heard.

An assault case that occurred at Henley Beach was heard in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court today. Picture: Kaysee Miller

A request for a cigarette escalated into an assault at Henley Beach, in a case heard in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Monday.

Chantelle Lee Berges, 30, Seaford Rise, was convicted of assault over the incident, which occurred at the Ramsgate Hotel on August 16.

The court heard Berges approached a table of hotel patrons and requested a cigarette.

“At 7.05pm, the victim has attended the Ramsgate Hotel at Henley Beach,” a police prosecutor told the court.

“She was sitting at a table having a drink with friends. The defendant has approached their table and asked them for cigarettes.

The Ramsgate Hotel at Henley Beach was the site of an assault in August. Picture: Morgan Sette

“The defendant has then sat down at the victim’s table. The victim’s friends then politely asked for the defendant to leave them alone.

“The defendant became hysterical and started being rude. The defendant has then approached the victim while she was sitting down and slapped her once to the face with an open palm, just underneath her eye. This caused immediate pain and the victim was in shock.

“The victim has no knowledge of who the defendant was and there was no provocation whatsoever.”

A lawyer for Berges said the defendant was a recovering alcoholic, who accepted she was completely in wrong for the incident and she was extremely remorseful.

Magistrate Stefan Metanomski noted Berges had no prior convictions. He recorded a conviction and fined Berges $500.