Yeppoon mother sentenced for shopping centre assault

A mother has been sentenced after she followed a woman into a Central Queensland shopping centre carpark and punched her multiple times.

Yeppoon Courthouse. Picture: Aden Stokes

A mother has been sentenced after she followed a woman into a Yeppoon shopping centre carpark and punched her multiple times.

The mum pleaded guilty in a Yeppoon Magistrates Court to assault.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said on December 8 last year, the female victim was at a sushi store inside a shopping centre.

Snr Const Rowe said as the victim waited for her order, the child walked around her and “peered into” her shopping bag.

“And (the child) accidentally hit the victim on the buttocks,” the prosecutor said.

“The victim has gently ushered the child away from her personal space.”

Snr Const Rowe said the mum then approached the victim and started verbally abusing her.

“The victim attempted to move to the other side of the store but (the mother) followed.”

When the victim got her order, she walked to her vehicle in the carpark.

Snr Const Rowe said the mum followed the victim to her vehicle and stood between the woman and her car so that she could not leave.

“(The mother) has then punched the victim three times in the shoulder before slamming the door and leaving.”

The victim made a complaint to police.

Snr Const Rowe said the mother told police that her child had autism and his behaviour was normal for the condition.

Solicitor Rebecca Winning said her client was a full-time mother of two and the child involved in this incident, as well as having autism was non-verbal.

“(The child) was... flapping his arms around for sensory reasons when (my client instructs) the victim pushed her son away, which caused him not to fall over, but he lost his balance.

“She concedes she approached (the victim) who said words to the effect of ‘Control your c*** of a kid.’

“A verbal interaction occurred (between the mother and the victim).”

Ms Winning said her client was “genuinely remorseful” for what happened at the victim’s car.

“She just said that she’s a mum and unfortunately she lost it.”

The court heard that the mother had no prior offending of this sort, and Ms Winning asked that no conviction be recorded so not to affect those roles in the future.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale fined the mother $800 and no conviction was recorded.