Collaroy man Andrew Jason Cunliff pleads guilty to injuring woman, 79, in laundry row over shirt

A man, furious after he mistakenly thought someone had stolen his shirt from a washing machine, has admitted assaulting a 79-year-old woman in a shared laundry at a Sydney block of flats.

Crane driver Andrew Jason Cunliff pleaded guilty in Manly Local Court to assaulting two elderly people in a shared laundry at a Collaroy block of flats. Picture: Monique Harmer

A man became so enraged after believing his shirt had been stolen that he assaulted three people, including a 79-year-old woman, and a man, 74, in a shared laundry at Collaroy.

Andrew Jason Cunliff, 36, lashed out at other residents of the apartment complex on June 3.

The elderly woman, whom he called a “fat ugly cow”, ended up on the concrete laundry floor with a serious head injury, Manly Local Court heard.

Cunliff pushed the 74-year-old man, leaving him with an injured elbow.

A 57-year-old man was also assaulted.

Andrew Cunliff grew aggressive after he thought someone had stolen his shirt from the laundry. Picture: Thinkstock

Cunliff, a crane driver who was staying at the flats in Frazer St with his girlfriend, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.

In a facts sheet tendered to court police stated that Cunliff’s “unprovoked behaviour had been affecting multiple residents”, including the three who were assaulted, “for the past couple of months”.

Three people were assaulted in the shared laundry at the block of flats in Frazer St, Collaroy on June 3.

Police stated that he was in the laundry of the unit block when he got into an argument with the elderly woman. She told him to move out of the apartment block.

Cunliff replied he had “squatter’s rights” and called her a “fat ugly cow.”

He then confronted the 57-year-old man who had just entered the launder to empty a washing machine, accusing him of stealing one of his shirts.

When the man did not reply, he called him a “pussy”.

When the man tried to leave the laundry, Cunliff pushed him, causing him to lurch into the woman.

Andrew Cunliff will be sentenced in Manly Court in August. Picture: Monique Harmer

The woman was knocked off her feet and the back of her head struck the floor, leaving her with a large lump. The 74-year-old man then intervened and was leaning over the fallen woman when Cunliff pushed him, causing an injury to the man’s elbow.

As the victims called police, Cunliff left the block with his dog.

The court heard that when police approached Cunliff, he claimed that the “lady tried to fake an injury”.

At an earlier court appearance, Cunliff’s solicitor said his client had been diagnosed with PTSD after a workplace accident and was suffering from a personality disorder.

At that appearance on June 4, Magistrate Daniel Reiss refused his application for bail, saying he had a criminal record of violence.

Cunliff, who is still in custody, will be sentenced at Manly Local Court on August 20.