Conor James Casey pleaded guilty in Mackay Magistrates Court for public nuisance

A young woman was brought to tears as she waited at the Mackay taxi rank when a concreter and his friend harassed her saying ‘this is what you women do, you play us’. It wasn’t the tradie’s first offence.

Conor James Casey (dark shirt) was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court on November 9.

A young woman was left in tears at a Mackay taxi rank when a concreter tried to grab her telling her “this is what you women do, you play us”.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard police were called to Victoria St at 1.50am on May 14 after reports of a two drunk men catcalling and harassing women with “really derogatory” language as they waited for taxis.

On November 9, police prosecutor Sheena Gravino said a witness recounted one young woman beginning to cry from the comments as she waited at the taxi rank alone.

One of the men, Conor James Casey was seen reaching over the bars trying to grab the woman, who pleaded “please just leave me alone”.

The court heard the concreter had said to the woman “this is what you women do, you play us”, along with other profanities.

A security guard then intervened and took Casey over to one side of the taxi rank while a nearby female traffic controller went to console the young woman, both helping her into the next taxi.

The court heard that when police arrived Casey had tried to walk away and was tasered and eventually arrested.

Conor James Casey was seen reaching over the taxi bar trying to grab a woman, who pleaded ‘please just leave me alone’.

But the court heard it wasn’t the first time Casey had been a nuisance to the public with police attempting to arrest him on February 26 at 1.30am after he pushed over an entrance bollard at Moss on Wood and refused to leave.

Ms Gravino said Casey had pulled his arms to his chest to resist being handcuffed and only complied with police when backup arrived.

The court heard a third instance happened on August 23 about 8.15pm at the Kooyong Hotel, which Casey was a regular patron of.

Casey was playing the gaming machines while drinking when it “took $160 from him”.

He reported it to staff who said Casey was initially compliant when they told him it would take a few days to fix the issue, but as the night wore on he became aggressive.

Casey had yelled at one of the staff members “you want to see what I do to c**ts who rob me” and ripping bar computers from the counter.

He was eventually locked out of the hotel.

Conor James Casey (dark shirt) was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court on November 9.

The court heard the continuing factor in Casey’s offending was the presence of alcohol which had cost the concreter his car after he crashed it drink-driving on January 9.

An off duty police officer saw Casey driving on the wrong side of the median strip on Barnes Creek Rd about 4.20am.

The officer saw the car strike a roadside barrier causing significant damage.

Police later pulled the car over with Casey recording a BAC of .162.

Casey pleaded guilty to several counts of public nuisance, obstructing police, wilful damage, drink-driving and driving an unsafe vehicle.

Casey’s barrister Joshua Morris told the court his client had ADHD and suspected anxiety and depression.

Mr Morris argued that because his client had received a taser to his back for his offence at the taxi rank, Casey had already received some punishment for his offence.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan called Casey a “true pest” and sentenced him to a three month suspended sentence for a period of 18 months, 12 months probation and 40 hours of community service.

He was fined $2,700 and disqualified from driving for two and a half years.

Casey was ordered to pay $467 to Kooyong Hotel.