Sarah Pershouse in Bundaberg District Court after violent rampage

A Queensland mother who went on a wild rampage, trashing the pub where she had worked and telling her assault victims she had AIDS, has been sentenced in court.

A Bundaberg mother could get out of jail just four days before Christmas after she was sentenced for a violent rampage which left a publican fearing for his life.

Sarah Ann Pershouse, 32, appeared in the Bundaberg District Court by videolink as details of her offending were read out.

On August 1, 2020, Pershouse went to the Grand Hotel at Childers where she had previously worked for eight years but from which she had since been banned.

The court heard she was listening to loud music and swearing at patrons and staff when she was refused service.

Pershouse then went outside and continued swearing.

When an employee went out to try calm her down, she punched him in the face before kicking and stomping another pub worker who came to his aid.

When a third person intervened to try and help the victims, Pershouse bit the third person’s thumb.

After that, she bit the thumb of the second pub worker, telling him she had AIDS.

The court heard Pershouse then threw a speaker through the front window and when it smashed, used the shards to throw at patrons in the pub, some of which hit the second pub worker.

The second pub worker, who had been bitten and had glass thrown at him, feared for his life due to suffering a medical condition where he could easily bleed out.

Pershouse then threw multiple full bottles of wine at the pub worker who she’d previously punched, and at others while they attempted to restrain her.

The violence continued after police and paramedics arrived.

She spat at one police officer, with the saliva landing on his face.

The court heard Pershouse then spat on a second officer, with saliva landing on the back of his head.

She kicked that officer twice to the groin when he was attempting to have her sedated.

Perhouse then spat in an ambulance officer’s face and made a second attempt which the paramedic blocked with a pillow.

The court heard that two days after the rampage, Pershouse went to the police station and apologised, saying she hadn’t remembered what she was doing.

But on October 11, 2020, she went on another violent rampage – this time towards her ex-partner.

During an argument, after attending a barbecue, Pershouse became angry with her ex and dented his car with her bicycle.

She then attempted to take his car keys while he sat in the car and bit his arm, breaking the skin.

Bundaberg Courthouse.

The court heard Pershouse later went to the victim’s brother’s house where she ripped a fly screen and damaged a door.

Later, her ex partner found her asleep in his car, and, enraged at being woken up, the Pershouse jabbed him with a knife in the shoulder area twice, cutting him.

The court heard Pershouse had a tough upbringing and a criminal history dating back to when she was 19 that included violence and attacks on police.

Letters were tendered to the court from support groups about her continual efforts to change.

She was participating in art and intended to take part in an anti-violence course.

In sentencing, Judge Katherine McGinness outlined the seriousness of the offending.

“You went, basically, on a drunken rampage,” she said.

Pershouse pleaded guilty to three charges of common assault, two charges of assault occasioning bodily harm, three counts of wilful damage, one count, of serious assault, three counts of serious assault with the circumstance of aggravation, one count of wilful damage (domestic violence offence), one charge of assault occasioning bodily harm (domestic violence offence) and one count of assault occasioning bodily harm while armed (domestic violence offence).

Judge McGinness sentenced Pershouse to a head sentence of three years, with 252 days in custody counted as time already served.

Pershouse will be eligible for parole, after serving 10 months, on December 21, 2021.