Tatiana Broadrick: Ipswich mum in court for punching sister-in-law at birthday party

A 20-year-old Ipswich mum and McDonalds worker has faced court after punching her sister-in-law twice in the face at her own birthday party.

A longstanding feud between the girlfriends of two brothers has landed a young mum in court after she punched her sister-in-law in the face at her own birthday party, a court has heard.

Tatiana Broadrick, 20, from Wulkuraka appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday March 23, charged with one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

She entered a plea of guilty.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Paul Caldwell told the court Broadrick had been drinking at Hotel Metropole on the evening of Sunday January 24 last year, along with a large group of people including the victim of the assault.

About 12.15am, the victim was waiting outside the pub for a lift home when Broadrick approached her.

“She heard a female voice calling out her name and then said ‘stop talking shit about me’,” Sgt Caldwell said.

“The defendant got really close to the victim and was continually saying the same thing.”

The court heard Broadrick then punched the victim twice in the face with a closed right fist, hitting the woman’s left cheek and causing redness, swelling, and bleeding inside the mouth.

Police attended Broadrick’s address about a month later after the victim of the assault reported the incident.

Broadrick told police she could recall being out on the night and having a heated conversation with the victim at the pub.

“She said she punched the victim in the head a number of times before the victim decamped in a car,” Sgt Caldwell said.

Defence lawyer Matt Gemmell said his client was a mother of a two-year-old child and worked full-time at McDonalds, but was hoping to undertake cosmetic therapy studies in the future.

He said she knew the victim by way of “siblings’ partners” and there had been a “longstanding feud” between the two that “boiled over” last year.

Broadrick was celebrating her upcoming 19th birthday at the pub on the night of the incident.

Mr Gemmell told the court Broadrick had refrained from contacting the woman, arguing that this fact paired with her young age, lack of criminal history, and early plea of guilty would make a small fine an appropriate penalty for her offending.

Magistrate Robert Walker said the incident was an example of a “relatively serious” offence of violence.

“The offence was constituted by you in an apparently intoxicated state,” he said to Broadrick.

“I have cause to say that is not an excuse for your behaviour.”

Broadrick was fined $1000 for the assault. The conviction was not recorded.