Yeppoon bartender Darcie Petrina Urquhart in court for road rage assaults

A Queensland bartender was dubbed “a danger on the road” after assaulting two people in Yeppoon incidents and charged with public nuisance for the third at a Stockland shopping centre.

Darcie Petrina Urquhart was described by Magistrate Cameron Press on May 19 as “a danger on the road simply because she was unhappy about actions taken by other drivers”.

A young woman, dubbed a dangerous driver by a magistrate, avoided jail for road rage assaults from three incidents, along with assaulting a friend, destroying shop goods during a tantrum and driving offences.

Darcie Petrina Urquhart, 21, was described by Magistrate Cameron Press on May 19 as “a danger on the road simply because she was unhappy about actions taken by other drivers”.

Urquhart assaulted two Yeppoon people involved in the road rage incidents – one on November 3, 2022, and the other on October 29 – and was charged with public nuisance for the third one which occurred in the carpark at Stockland Rockhampton.

She also assaulted a friend over a fuel debt, smashed up items in a store because the store didn’t have the items she wanted in stock, and resisted arrest.

Urquhart pleaded guilty on May 19 to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, one of common assault, two counts of driving without due care, one of overtaking when it was not safe to do so, one of wilful damage, one of public nuisance, two of breaching bail conditions and one of obstructing police.

Police prosecutor Brandon Selic said Urquhart, in the AOBH of her friend on Burnett Street in Rockhampton on December 20 in 2021, grabbed the victim by her hair and pulled her down a flight of stairs, causing the young woman to fall on concrete.

He said the defendant then jumped on top of the victim while she was on the ground, punching her before being knocked off.

Mr Selic said Urquhart apologised before fleeing.

The victim sustained a four-centimetre laceration to her forehead, pain in her left knee and bruises.

Five months later, Urquhart was intercepted driving on April 17 and checks revealed she was wanted on a warrant.

Mr Selic when the officer approached her vehicle, she acted erratic and abusive, refusing to exit her vehicle.

He said she tried to start the car but the police officer reached in to take away her keys but Urquhart grabbed his hand and injured it.

The first road rage incident occurred as Urquhart exited a car park at Stockland Rockhampton when she and another motorist narrowly avoided a collision.

This incident involved Urquhart swearing and spitting at other road users plus physically fighting them which was filmed by others.

The second road rage incident, on October 28 along Park Street, Yeppoon, started with Urquhart illegally using a right-thehand turning lane to overtake a Toyota Corolla, causing the Corolla to swerve to avoid a collision.

Mr Selic said Urquhart continued driving with the victim about 10 metres behind her and Urquhart made an abrupt stop in the middle of the road, put her hand out the driver’s window and made hand gestures towards the Corolla driver before opening her vehicle door yelling “what the f-- are you c---s doing, following me home?”

He said the driver of the Corolla had exited in anticipation of swapping details as he believed they had been involved in an accident, while his female passenger exited to photograph Urquhart’s number plate for documenting purposes.

“The defendant has approached the (female) while yelling and hit her with a closed fist on the head, causing her to stumble and drop her phone,” Mr Selic said.

“The defendant has then jumped onto the victim, hitting and scratching with her hands.”

He said Urquhart grabbed the victim by the hair while the other victim called for police assistance.

The parties separated with the victims driving straight to the police station.

Mr Selic said the third road rage incident took place along Braithwaite Street, Yeppoon, on November 3 about 11pm where the victim was in front of Urquhart until she overtook him by going on the wrong side of the road around traffic islands, and return to the correct side before abruptly stopping in the middle of an intersection, blocking the way for all traffic.

He said Urquhart got out of her vehicle and approached the victim’s driver’s window, yelling abuse at them saying “learn how to f---ing drive and respect other people”.

Mr Selic said the defendant then spat at the victim through the window.

Another road user filmed the incident.

Magistrate Cameron Press placed Urquhart on a two-year probation order with a condition she attends psychological and psychiatric appointments as directed and takes medications as prescribed.

She was also fined $1200, ordered to pay $18.20 restitution and no convictions were recorded.