Assault or public nuisance: Burnett’s drunk and disorderly offenders – named
From drunken bar fights, to racial abuse and terrifying threats to cops, these are the shocking crimes committed on wild nights out and a breakdown of the region’s alcohol-fuelled offending.
Police & Courts
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A night out on the town is a favourite past time of the Burnett with local pubs regularly packed on weekends, but the sheer number of drunken crimes before the courts shows just how quickly a night can go bad.
Data from the Queensland Police Service shows assaults have slowly increased over the past two years, with 700 offences recorded in the South Burnett alone.
The first two months of this year started well with assault figures dropping from December’s high of 46 offences, but March saw numbers again rise to 36.
It’s no surprise many of the region’s assaults are clustered around the pubs and clubs in towns.
Recent data shows the intersection of Haly and Youngman Streets in Kingaroy to be a major hotspot for trouble.
With the ever-popular Kingaroy Hotel on one side, and the glowing neon arches of McDonald’s on the other, it’s got everything a reveller needs.
The area is a hotbed for good order offences, with the crime making up nearly a third of the 63 offences recorded in the past two years.
Drug and theft offences following closely behind with 10 offences each recorded, and six assaults have also been recorded in the area.
It’s these sorts of drunk and disorderly offences that are brought before Burnett courts each year, from alcohol-fuelled assaults to terrifying threats and horror crashes.
See a list below of Burnett offenders recently sentenced for wild nights out:
CONVICTIONS RECORDED:
Brodie Lain Wilson
A Murgon timber cutter narrowly avoided jail time after a night out at the Wondai Hotel turned ugly, with a bartender left with a broken nose and officers spattered in blood.
The court heard the bartender told Wilson he was “cut off”, prompting him to throw back the remainder of his drink and throw the glass at the staffer.
Despite other patrons attempting to hold him back, Wilson struggled free and punched the bartender in the face, breaking his nose.
Wilson pleaded guilty in Murgon Magistrates Court to two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm, serious assault of a police officer and wilful damage.
He was sentenced to 12 months’ jail but released on immediate parole, and ordered to complete 160 hours of community service.
Rebecca Bransby
A regular work day took a violent turn for a hotel manager when a Kingaroy woman started attacking a fellow patron before turning on the manager when he attempted to intervene.
The violent ordeal began when an intoxicated Rebecca Bransby, 26, started brawling with another guest at the Queens Hotel in Ayr last November.
The Kingaroy woman had the man pinned to the ground of the front bar when the hotel manager pulled her off him, holding her arms from behind as she attempted to throw punches at him according to police.
Bransby told the court she regretted hitting the manager, but claims the man she’d originally attacked had been walking around the pub “touching other women” before grabbing her.
She pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm, wilful damage, and failing to appear in court.
The 26-year-old was fined $1500.
Natasha Rose Smallwood
After attempting to break up an altercation at the McDonald’s, a police officer of Asian descent endured “vile” racist slurs from a Kingaroy mother, who among other things called him a “Chinese c--t”.
Natasha Rose Smallwood, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of public nuisance over the early morning altercation.
Magistrate Andrew Sinclair placed Smallwood on probation for 12 months.
Shaun William Harcla
A Sunday evening on a quiet Nanango street descended into chaos, when a drunken man began abusing and threatening a family, including a 14-year-old for no apparent reason.
Just before 6.30pm on January 16, Shaun William Harcla arrived at the front door of a Bunker Ave address in Nanango and immediately began screaming obscenities, yelling “youse (sic) are fucked, I know where you live”.
Police were called to the address and were told Harcla had threatened a 14-year-old at the property.
He pleaded guilty in Nanango Magistrates Court to public nuisance but was unable to shed any light on what happened that night, saying he had no recollection.
“It’s very embarrassing – I mixed my drinks at the pub,” he said.
Harcla was fined $500.
NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED
Shane Matthew Bird
A Saturday night out at the Commercial Hotel ended in handcuffs for a Kingaroy machine operator in handcuffs after staff were forced to break up a fight between patrons on the street outside.
Police were called to the hotel at 12.30am on October 2, where they spotted Shane Matthew Bird shirtless engaged in a verbal and physical altercation outside the Haly Street entrance.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Pepe Gangemi said while police were speaking to the hotel staff, Bird stood up and attempted to continue fighting.
After being handcuffed he said, ‘I hope your daughter gets raped’ to a female police officer.
Bird pleaded guilty in Kingaroy Magistrates Court to committing a public nuisance and obstructing police while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance.
Magistrate Andrew Sinclair ordered him to undertake 40 hours of community service, which must be completed in 12 months.
No conviction was recorded.
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