Trisha Anne Peel, 41, sentenced in Bundaberg court

A heroin addict mum of two’s decision to try and settle a neighbourhood dispute with a machete has been described as “reprehensible” as a court hears of her efforts to turn over a new leaf.

A mother-of-two has faced court after she threatened her neighbour with a machete, with the entire ordeal captured on CCTV.

Trisha Peel, 41, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court to public nuisance, going armed to cause fear and drug driving.

The court heard Peel was pulled over by police at 12:30pm on December 29, 2021 to undergo a roadside drug test and tested positive to cannabis.

Around three months later, on March 26, police were called to a disturbance on Wallace Street at Bundaberg North after neighbours witnessed a woman screaming and shouting in the street.

According to the prosecutor, Peel walked across to the victim’s house yelling “where’s my f***ing daughter?”.

She then walked back to her house, grabbing a long silver bar which had a blade attached to the end of it and began waving the machete in the direction of the victim, yelling and screaming at her to come out of the house because she was going to “chop her up”.

The neighbour walked out into her front yard in an attempt to calm her down, but she started to wave the machete around, the court heard.

She then grabbed a plank of wood and approached Peel to try and calm her down, however, Peel continued to wave the machete at her.

The victim feared for her safety and went back into her house.

CCTV captured Peel walking back onto Wallace Street yelling and screaming towards the victim’s house.

Duty lawyer, Matt Maloy told the court Peel had an ongoing dispute with the neighbour.

“Something which one can only have some sympathy for,” he said.

“She accepts her behaviour was completely uncalled for and instructs she was very affected at the time.

“She’s had an ongoing battle with alcohol and drugs for many, many years.”

The court heard Peel was unemployed and had self-referred herself to a drug rehab program.

“She’s only recently stopped heroin within the last couple of weeks,” Mr Maloy said.

Magistrate Edwin Rowan said “that you would resort to approaching someone with a bar with a metal blade attached is absolutely reprehensible conduct”.

She also said Peel’s past driving convictions “certainly put you within range of actual imprisonment being imposed on you”.

Ms Rowan took into consideration Peel’s criminal history, but also her attempt at rehabilitation, changing from the methadone program to the suboxone program.

“I need to structure an order that deters you from committing similar offences in the future, but also provides a reasonable aspect of rehabilitation for you,” she said.

Peel was sentenced to three months in jail but allowed immediate parole and three months probation for going armed to cause fear.

For drug driving, she was sentenced to 15 months’ probation and disqualified from holding a licence for seven months.

For public nuisance, she was not further penalised.

Convictions were recorded for all charges.