Helena Maree Fisher pleads guilty to assaults, theft, public nuisance

A mother of two has paraded bare chested down the city’s main street after assaulting a hospital worker and threatening to burn her hair off in a spate of bizarre crimes.

A spate of assaults including of a hospital worker starting her shift escalated to a mother of two children walking topless along Bourbong St.

A spate of assaults including that of a hospital worker starting her shift escalated to a mother of two children walking topless along the main street of Bundaberg.

Appearing via video link from Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre, Helena Maree Fisher, 31, pleaded guilty before Bundaberg Magistrates Court to charges including assault, stealing and trespassing.

Fisher’s defence lawyer, Thomas Bray, told the court his client was a Gooreng Gooreng woman who had been suffering from mental health issues and trauma related to her mother’s struggle with diabetes, which shortly before the offending had led to her mother’s legs being amputated in a Brisbane hospital.

Rather than seeking assistance through the NDIS for dealing with her life stressors, the court heard Fisher had self-medicated using crystal methamphetamine and alcohol.

The court heard Fisher was a single mother of two children aged 14 and 12, and had worked in various jobs since leaving school in Year 10 including in takeaway food shops, farmwork and cleaning.

Police prosecutor Carl Spargo told the court that while Fletcher had a lengthy criminal history, the most recent round of offending began on October 8 when she stole two bottles of alcohol from Dan Murphy’s Bundaberg.

The court heard Fletcher browsed the shelves before concealing a bottle of 12-year-old whiskey worth $120 and a 700ml bottle of Bundaberg Rum worth $48.99 beneath her clothing and left the store.

Police located Fletcher two days later and interviewed her about the theft, but Fletcher said she had no memory of the incident.

On October 18 around 9.30pm Fletcher, after being discharged from Bundaberg Hospital, confronted a female hospital worker who had arrived to start her shift.

The court heard Fletcher thrust an unknown object out at the victim and said “I’ll burn your hair off!”, to which the victim replied “what the f--k, why?” and backed away from Fletcher.

The court heard the "most bizarre" of Fletcher's offending occurred when she walked around in front of the Bundaberg Police Beat while topless, showing members of the public her tattoos.

When Fletcher continued to walk towards the victim, she walked around her and went quickly to a secure entrance at the hospital to alert security staff who contacted police.

The following afternoon, Fletcher was browsing the shelves at BWS Freshfields when she was approached by a male staff member who asked if she needed any assistance.

Fletcher did not respond, but grabbed a bottle of champagne from a nearby display and made several attempts to strike the staff member.

After a struggle, the staff member disarmed Fletcher of the bottle and she left the store.

Sgt Spargo said the “most bizarre of the offences” occurred on October 24, when Fletcher was seen walking around outside the unmanned Police Beat in the middle of the Bundaberg shopping district while topless and showing her tattoos to members of the public.

The court heard Fletcher had made an attempt to cover her breasts with a book and some pieces of paper, but after a few minutes she dropped the items, which exposed her breasts.

A member of the public went to a nearby store and bought a shirt which she offered to Fletcher, but Fletcher refused.

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Magistrate Edwina Rowan sentence Fletcher to six months jail with immediate release on parole.

Convictions were recorded.