Rhett Yow-Yeh in court for Pine Beach Hotel incident

A concreter grabbed a star picket as an altercation with a Central Queensland hotel manager got heated, forcing staff to intervene.

Rhett Lemar Yow-Yeh at Yeppoon Courthouse.

A concreter who armed himself with a star picket during an altercation with a Central Queensland hotel manager, has faced court.

Rhett Lemar Yow-Yeh, 32, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court to going armed to cause fear.

The court heard that about 6pm on March 3, Yow-Yeh attended the drive-through bottleshop at Emu Park’s Pine Beach Hotel.

Police prosecutor Courtney Brown said Yow-Yeh got into a heated verbal altercation with the manager.

Ms Brown said the manager told Yow-Yeh he was not welcome at the premises.

“The pair were separated by another witness who sent (Yow-Yeh) away from the location,” Ms Brown said.

She said Yow-Yeh left, but a short time later he returned brandishing a star picket and yelled at the manager, saying he was going to assault him.

“The witness stepped in again and sent (Yow-Yeh) away to avoid a further altercation,” Ms Brown said.

Yow-Yeh had a one-page criminal history which included an assault occasioning bodily harm offence and a public nuisance in the vicinity of a licensed premises offence.

Solicitor Jess King said Yow-Yeh had previously been banned from the Pine Beach Hotel for 12 months and that ban ended in 2021.

“In relation to the (latest) offence itself, (Yow-Yeh) attended at the drive-through bottlo with a female cousin of his,” Ms King said.

“She had been drinking - he hadn’t.

“He drove her there so that she could get some more drinks.

“While he was there, the fellow (manager) came out of the hotel - he was not working at the time, he was in civilian clothes with his dog.

“And he began remonstrating with (Yow-Yeh), telling him that he was banned from the hotel which didn’t accord with my client’s understanding.

“He (manager) also then made derogatory comments towards (Yow-Yeh),” Ms King said.

Ms King said a female staffer came out and removed the manager from the situation and that was when Yow-Yeh and his cousin left.

“Effectively the comments that he (manager) had made, stuck with (Yow-Yeh) and got in his head.

“And he (Yow-Yeh) made the poor decision to return to the (hotel) after he dropped off his cousin.

“He parked on the opposite side of the road (from the hotel)... he remained on that side of the road.

“He did take the star picket out of the back of the ute, but he didn’t wave it around or point it at anyone - he simply had it in his hand while he was yelling out.

“As soon as the female staff member came out of the hotel again, he (Yow-Yeh) desisted immediately and left.”

Ms King said Yow-Yeh, a concreter and father of three, regretted his actions.

She tendered a reference to the court from Yow-Yeh’s employer.

Acting Magistrate Stephen Byrne fined Yow-Yeh $1000 and a conviction was recorded.