Hayley Jane Mackenzie pleads guilty in Brisbane court after pub rampage

In an “excitable” state after an AFL victory, a diehard Geelong Cats fan threw chairs around a popular Brisbane pub and slapped a patron in the face.

Hayley Jane Mackenzie, 39. Picture: Facebook

A woman who slapped a man in the face after watching her favourite sports team win a game initially denied committing assault, but later acknowledged her behaviour was excessive.

Hayley Jane Mackenzie, 39, of Cannon Hill faced the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, December 12 and pleaded guilty to behaving in a disorderly manner and assaulting a person at Kangaroo Point’s Pineapple Hotel.

The court heard the offences took place on September 16, when Mackenzie’s favourite sports team, the Geelong Cats, won against the Brisbane Lions. She watched the AFL game at the pub and was “very excitable”.

Prosecutor Sergeant Wade Domagala said police were called to the venue as Mackenzie was being escorted out for “throwing chairs around at people”.

As she was leaving, a man yelled words to the effect of: “Goodbye, you have to go. You’re out of here.”

Mackenzie subsequently walked up to the man and slapped him in the face.

“Police arrested her in the carpark,” Sgt Domagala said.

“When they put the allegations to her, she said, ‘It wasn’t assault. I f---ing slapped him across the face’.”

Hayley Jane Mackenzie, 39, of Cannon Hill leaves the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, December 12, 2022. Picture: Jessica Baker

The court heard the incident was not exactly out of character for Mackenzie, as she had previously appeared before the courts on similar charges.

But St Domagala said it did appear her behaviour was linked to an “alcohol issue”.

Mackenzie’s lawyer Nicholas Schoenmaker explained the circumstances of some of her previous offending which took place at a different Brisbane venue, Tingalpa Hotel.

On that occasion, he said a taxi driver ran over her friend’s foot with his vehicle. When a hotel worker asked if he could call her an ambulance, Mackenzie pushed him away.

Mr Schoenmaker acknowledged there did seem to be a pattern in his client’s behaviour when it came to regulating her responses to certain situations.

Mackenzie was said to have been emotional after watching her favourite sports team win a game at the Pineapple Hotel, but she accepted the slap she dealt the patron was excessive.

The court heard Mackenzie was previously diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, depression, anxiety, and a panic disorder.

Magistrate Dzenita Balic acknowledged emotions were high when she committed the offences before the court, but slapping a person and throwing chairs around a venue was clearly inappropriate.

Mackenzie was placed on a nine-month probation order with no special conditions. Convictions were recorded.