Briana Dougherty charged with burglary, unleashes verbal tirade on magistrate

A young woman charged with burglary and theft let loose in court with an expletive-laden outburst at the magistrate.

Briana Dougherty is charged with burglary and theft. Picture: Facebook

A young woman unleashed a stream of insults at a Geelong magistrate, then told her fired lawyer to leave the court.

Briana Dougherty, 24, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Wednesday for a brief mention, charged with burglary, reckless assault of an emergency worker and theft.

Lawyer Sarah Wood briefly appeared for Ms Dougherty before she was brought up from the cells. Ms Wood said she had been told she was fired because a bail application was not going to take place.

When Ms Dougherty arrived in the dock she asked Magistrate Ann McGarvie if she could apply for bail.

This request was denied by Ms McGarvie, who said the matter would return to court on June 27.

Ms McGarvie said she hoped Ms Wood would be able to speak to Ms Dougherty to finalise some of the matters before a bail application could be heard.

Ms Dougherty replied she wanted a different lawyer and told Ms Wood, who was seated in court, to leave the room before asking the magistrate what she had been charged with.

Ms McGarvie said Ms Dougherty did not have power over who could leave a courtroom.

“She is not my lawyer though, so she can leave the room,” Ms Dougherty responded.

“You’re not going to rule my life,” she told the magistrate.

Ms McGarvie responded with “I am at the moment” before telling Ms Dougherty she needed to see a lawyer.

Ms Dougherty responded “you need to shut the f--- up. What’s my charge b---. What are you going to do, don’t start me c---”.

She then abruptly left the room, told the magistrate a bail application would be taking place next time she was in court, and then called her a “b----” and a “stupid mole” as her final words were “goodbye b----”.

Ms McGarvie remanded Ms Dougherty in custody until June 27 and said she was in a “very difficult situation”.

“I note there are no custody-management issues, but clearly she is unwell and has mental health issues,” Ms McGarvie said.

Originally published as Briana Dougherty charged with burglary, unleashes verbal tirade on magistrate