Woman’s rage after man ‘groped’ 15-yo sister ends in court

A BURNETT woman came close to a prison sentence after a very handsy man had her seeing red.

A woman faced Murgon Court this week after a man grabbing her younger sister, making her lose control and risk activating her suspended sentence. File photo.

AFTER her underage sister was groped, a Cherbourg woman didn’t hold back her rage at the 30-year-old male perpetrator, landing herself in court.

The defendant entered a plea of guilty to a public nuisance charge before Murgon Magistrates Court this week, October 13, 2020.

At 9.40am on June 6, 2020, police were conducting patrols on Martin Road at Woorabinda when they observed two women, accompanied by a man and a young girl, screaming at each other in front of a large crowd of onlookers.

“They were gesturing wildly, as if they were about to engage in a fight,” police prosecutor Barry Stevens said. At the time of the offence, the defendant was on a suspended prison sentence for contravening a domestic violence order.

In relation to the suspended sentence, Defence lawyer Bonnie Djordjevic suggested the court consider fining the defendant given the circumstances surrounding the incident, rather than activating the jail term.

“My client was arguing with that man on the street because he’d been grabbing her 15-year-old sister. He tried to grope her,” Ms Djordjevic.

“He was significantly older. He was about 30, she instructs.”

The other lady, who was with that man at the time, was his sister, and that’s why they were arguing.”

For the offence, the defendant was convicted and fined $250, which was referred to SPER.

No action was taken in relation to the suspended sentence on this occasion.

Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said the sentence he chose was designed to “kerb (the defendant’s) enthusiasm for taking matters into (her) own hands.”

“If someone does something wrong, you can take it up with the police,” Magistrate Sinclair said.

The conviction was recorded.

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