Kate Louise Foxley-Connolly, Andrew Grant Folwell sentenced for Maguire’s Hotel common assault
A glamorous tattoo artist and her built barber-shop owner fiancé, filmed assaulting a woman outside a Qld pub, have had a fright of their own despite glowing character references including one from a former councillor.
Police & Courts
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A Mackay tattoo shop owner who carried out a “callous, malicious” attack on a woman at a pub has been given a taste of what it would be like behind bars.
Kate Louise Foxley-Connolly, 36, broke down in tears in Mackay Magistrate Court when Acting Magistrate Nigel Rees told her he was considering sending her to jail, and ordered she be taken into custody in the watch house.
The court heard her fiance, Andrew Grant Folwell, who previously did time for stabbing a drug dealer, first pushed the victim over before Foxley-Connolly pushed the woman’s head to the ground with her foot with the couple not breaking their stride as they walked away from Maguire’s Hotel.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Hannah Beaumont described the events that unfolded on May 25, 2024 between 10.30pm and 11.30pm, when the drunk victim and couple engaged in “back and forth behaviour”, culminating with the woman throwing water from a glass at the duo.
About 11.41pm the victim then threatened and argued with two friends of the couple on the street outside the pub, evening trying to stop them from re-entering the pub.
CCTV footage, played in court, captured what happened next – Folwell, 35, pushed the victim to the ground, face first, and then Foxley-Connolly, following close behind, pushed the victim’s head back down to the pavement with her foot.
Mr Rees labelled Foxley-Connolly’s behaviour as “callous, malicious treatment”.
Despite having high profile references including one from former Mackay region councillor Fran Mann, Mr Rees bluntly told her he was considering a sentence of “actual imprisonment”.
“I know she has no criminal history but that was gratuitous, it was unnecessary, it was the use of her foot,” Mr Rees said.
Foxley-Connolly was taken into the watch house, and the case was stood down for about an hour for Mr Rees to consider his options. When the court resumed, and Foxley-Connolly returned to the courtroom Mr Rees asked if she liked her time in the cell to which she replied: “No, Your Honour”.
The court heard a statement made by the victim who said she had “heightened anxiety” as a result of the attack.
She said she struggled with feeling safe in large groups and her social and work life had suffered in the aftermath.
“I am deeply saddened the actions of strangers has made such a detrimental impact on my life and career,” she said.
Mr Rees said the victim’s impact statement was tempered by the context of the evening which he said was “not one-sided” but also did not excuse Foxley-Connolly’s behaviour.
‘Nothing is black and white’
Owens and Associates’ lawyer Andrew Owens, for Foxley-Connolly and Folwell, told the court “she is an otherwise good person … you’d never think she’d be here”.
He explained his client ran Gold Empire Tattoo Barber which supported 11 employees and highlighted how she’d helped raise $36,000 for a men's homeless shelter in 2019.
Both Foxley-Connolly and Folwell had initially pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and public nuisance but switched their pleas to guilty to a revised charge of common assault.
Folwell also pleaded guilty to refusing police access to his phone during a search of his property on October 28, 2024 in relation to drug possession and trafficking investigation where no evidence of such offences was found and no charges were laid.
Mr Owens said Folwell was not specifically targeted for the search, and he declined due to having personal images on his device.
The court heard Folwell who was also now part-owner in the barber shop was previously jailed in 2013 for seven years for malicious act with intent after he stabbed another man, his then partner’s alleged drug dealer, in the head and neck multiple times.
A character reference on his behalf described him as a great role model for the community and said he proved it was possible to turn a life around, which Mr Rees said was “spot on”.
“You are thought highly of,” he said.
“However, to be a better role model you need to stay out of trouble.”
Mr Rees said Folwell used excessive force in the attack.
“You are considerably bigger than her, that’s evident from the CCTV footage,” he said.
Folwell was fined $1000 for the common assault and ordered to pay $1500 compensation to the victim within two months.
He was further handed a two-month jail term with immediate parole for contravening the police order.
Mr Reed warned Foxley-Connolly she was “very close to going to prison”.
Instead, he ordered her to complete 100 hours unpaid community service over 12 months and also pay $1500 compensation to the victim.
“Nothing is black and white, and I have considered the events of that evening,” Mr Rees said.
“She effectively assaulted you earlier in the evening.
“The wise thing would have been to walk away, you didn’t … this is where your choices have landed you.”
Folwell had convictions recorded in relation to all matters and no convictions were recorded for Foxley-Connolly’s charge of common assault.
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