Ariana Ihaka-Rimene gets Yeppoon pub ban extended

A young man booted from The Strand has got himself into trouble again, this time for being involved in a street fight.

Ariana Tiariki Tereina Ihaka-Rimene.

A man who blatantly defied a pub banning order to get into a Yeppoon hotel has faced court for his third incident of drunken offending.

Ariana Tiariki Tereina Ihaka-Rimene, 24, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court last Thursday (July 27) to trespass and public nuisance in the vicinity of a licensed premises.

Police prosecutor Courtney Brown said Ihaka-Rimene was banned from The Strand Hotel in April this year and that ban was in place until July 16, 2024.

Ms Brown said about 10.14pm on July 1, Ihaka-Rimene was refused entry to the hotel after an ID scanner detected he was banned from the venue.

Then at 1.44am, security found Ihaka-Rimene inside the hotel and it was not known how he got there, Ms Brown said.

Ihaka-Rimene was evicted.

The court heard that at 2am, police were patrolling near The Strand Hotel when they were called to a fight happening across the road.

The Strand Hotel, Yeppoon.

Ms Brown said when police got there, they saw Ihaka-Rimene had a hold of someone’s shirt and officers separated the pair.

“(Ihaka-Rimene) was extremely intoxicated and uncooperative with police,” the prosecutor said.

Ms Brown said police had earlier in the night spoken to Ihaka-Rimene after an incident with people outside the Pacific Hotel.

“During this earlier altercation, (Ihaka-Rimene) has pushed several members of the public, gesturing them to fight.”

Ihaka-Rimene was arrested outside The Strand Hotel.

In court, the prosecution sought a further 12-month banning order.

Solicitor Joanne Madden said on the night of the incidents, Ihaka-Rimene had gone out drinking after being told “a significant person in his life” had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Ms Madden said Ihaka-Rimene was employed and he was “no longer drinking” after this offending.

Before handing down her penalty, Magistrate Grace Kahlert noted this was Ihaka-Rimene’s third time before a court for drunken offending.

She fined him $500, imposed a 12-month banning order, and no convictions were recorded.