Shain James McLean pleads guilty to Airlie Beach bar assault, fraud

A drunk 50-year-old man turned his rage at a kind hospitality worker who tried to help him at an Airlie Beach bar.

Shain James McLean appeared via video link in Proserpine Court.

A man has faced court after assaulting an Airlie Beach hospitality worker and using a stolen credit card to buy booze.

Shain James McLean appeared in Proserpine Magistrates Court via video link from custody, pleading guilty to 20 offences including assault, fraud, receiving tainted property, and thirteen incidents of breaching bail conditions all occurring between April 2024 and May 2025.

The court heard the 50-year-old was falling asleep at his in Anchor Bar Airlie Beach when a worker brought him a glass of water telling him he would “thank her tomorrow”.

In response McLean became “aggressive and abusive” telling her “I own this bar and I own this town, can’t tell me what to do”.

Police prosecutor Lynda Hughes said he was asked to leave the premises but instead he continued yelling and getting in the worker.

He then pushed the worker on her chest making her fall backwards to the floor, cracking her phone and causing pain in her wrist.

Magistrate Anna Smith said the offending was aggravated as he attacked a female in her workplace.

The man faced court after assaulting an Airlie Beach hospitality worker and using a stolen credit card to buy booze.

He was also charged with receiving tainted property and two counts of fraud after he used a stolen credit card to buy a carton of beer and two four packs of rum and coke.

Ms Hughes said he told police the card was given to him by another man who asked him to buy them alcohol.

It was not alleged McLean stole the credit card and Ms Smith said it was “unsophisticated” offending.

Sabine Scott from McKays Solicitors told the court her client was homeless and had no contact with his family including his two children.

She said the former fisherman had a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia and a background of mild intellectual impairment and alcohol abuse.

He had already spent 211 days in pre-sentence custody, she said.

McLean was sentenced to two months imprisonment for receiving tainted property, one month imprisonment for each of the fraud charges, two months imprisonment for assault, and convicted without further punishment for all other charges.

He was granted an immediate parole release date with 211 days time served.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Shain James McLean pleads guilty to Airlie Beach bar assault, fraud