Julie Hickleton pleads guilty to punching taxi driver

A woman has appeared in court after she punched a taxi driver to the face because she thought the fare was too high.

Julie Hickleton. Picture: Facebook

An angry passenger punched a taxi driver in the head because she thought the price of the fare was too high, a court has heard.

Julie Hickleton, 42, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday to unlawful assault, bike theft and criminal damage.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable David Vanderpol said Hickleton was picked up in a taxi about 9.47am on September 10 last year, and dropped off at the Bellpost shopping centre in Norlane.

Hickleton told the taxi driver to halt the metre while she went in to do her shopping, but the taxi driver refused to do so.

Hickleton returned five minutes later, claimed the fare was too high and started arguing with the driver.

Constable Vanderpol said Hickleton became agitated and punched the taxi driver to the head a number of times.

The driver was injured and sustained a minor cut and swelling to his right eye.

In a separate incident, on July 28 last year, Hickleton stole a $1200 e-bike from the garage of a Mercer St apartment, where she was living at the time.

The court heard Hickleton took the e-bike from a storage cage and placed it in the boot of a car which was driven by a co-accused.

She was interviewed by police on November 7 last year and told officers she had an acquired brain injury and could not remember the offence.

When asked why she assaulting the taxi driver, Hickleton told police she only hit the victim once.

Hickleton’s lawyer said her client suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2000 when she fractured her skull.

The lawyer said her client was also suffering from substance abuse at the time of the offending.

The court heard Hickleton’s co-accused had pleaded guilty to the bike theft and received a financial penalty.

Magistrate Simon Guthrie, deferred sentencing until March 2024.

“Who do consumers think they are if they dictate services available to them?,” Mr Guthrie said.

“It’s just outrageous.”

Originally published as Julie Hickleton pleads guilty to punching taxi driver