Bowen man slams metal picket into car to scare off woman

She was looking for seasonal work but reversed quickly in fear when the man armed himself with the pole.

A Bowen man hit a car with a star picket after a woman went onto his property looking for seasonal work. Photo: File

A WOMAN was looking for work on a Bowen property but reversed quickly in fear after the property owner slammed a metal picket down on her vehicle.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors told Bowen Magistrates Court the woman pulled up with another vehicle at the address looking for arranged farm work in June.

Sgt Myors said she asked property owner Lindsay John Collett whether she had the right property but when she realised she had the wrong place, she got back in her car.

But while she was doing that, Collett walked over to a garden bed and grabbed a star picket and hit her car with the pole, so she quickly reversed and drove out of the property.

Collett told the court he was concerned about coronavirus and angered that the woman would not leave his property, which is why he hit the car.

 

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He pleaded guilty to one count of wilful damage last week.

The 68-year-old man said the woman kept walking over to him and was trying to show him the address she was looking for on her phone.

But Collett told her she was at the wrong place and they started swearing at one another.

When she got back in the car, he said the people in the cars were "playing with their phones" so he grabbed the 1.5m picket.

"I didn't want to hurt anybody but they didn't leave," Collett said.

"When I saw the look on the girl's face was scared I was sorry I'd done it."

Collett said he had a sign on his fence to tell people there was no farm work at the address, but they still ventured on to the property.

Magistrate James Morton told the Bowen man he should have known better.

"These are women mind you, they posed no threat to you did they?" Mr Morton said.

"I take it you wouldn't like it for your daughter to be dealt with by some bloke like this.

"You're probably fed up with it I get that but how you dealt with this is not the way to deal with it."

Collett was ordered to pay $781 restitution and was fined $300.

No conviction was recorded.

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