Chullora Woolworths alleged toilet paper brawlers Meriam and Treiza Bebawy charged with affray
A mother and daughter who allegedly attacked another woman during a supermarket brawl over toilet paper at the height of coronavirus panic buying have claimed self-defence.
The Express
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A woman allegedly involved in a supermarket brawl over toilet paper has claimed the situation could have been defused had Woolworths staff not “ganged up” on her and her mother, a Sydney court has heard.
Bankstown mother and daughter duo Meriam, 23, and Treiza Bebawy, 60, were both charged with one count of affray over the March 7 incident, which allegedly took place at a Woolworths supermarket in Chullora at the height of panic buying during the coronavirus pandemic.
Both women have pleaded not guilty to attacking Tracey Hinckson, 49, and appeared before Magistrate Peter Bugden at Bankstown Local Court on Friday for the first day of a hearing over the matter.
According to court documents, the women were allegedly violent towards the female victim and would have caused people at the scene to fear for their safety.
CCTV footage of the incident and police interviews were played to the court which heard Meriam, a frontline healthcare worker employed in Wollongong at the time, and Treiza, a family daycare operator, had been unsuccessful in their search for toilet paper in the days leading up the incident.
In an interview recorded by police, Meriam told investigators she and her mother had visited Woolworths stores in Bankstown and Punchbowl the night before the incident but were told by staff they had run out of toilet paper and the limit was four packets per customer.
“Four is not enough because I don’t live at home and I need to take with me. My mum has a family daycare … We’re not like your average family,” she said.
The next day, she and her mother decided to try Woolworths at Chullora at opening time.
“We got there and like I was grabbing … we put eight in the trolley and like everyone’s grabbing four each,” Meriam told investigators during the interview.
She said Woolworths staff then “stopped us from moving” and “ganged up” on the pair.
She said the situation could have been “defused” had staff not “ganged up” on them and she and her mother had intended to pay for their packets separately.
“All we did was go together.”
When Ms Hinckson grabbed one packet of toilet paper from the trolley, Meriam said she “smashed” on the packet to try and break it apart from the handle.
She said she then felt a punch to her face and alleged Ms Hinckson grabbed her hair.
“It was hard, like it didn’t leave a mark or anything but it was like very aggressive and then I don’t know what happened.”
She told police her “hands just went flying” and “I think I hit her across the face”.
Treiza Bebawy told investigators during her interview she became involved in the altercation to defend her daughter.
Woolworths Chullora staff member Charbel Estephan was called to the stand as a witness and told the court he recalled seeing both mother and daughter allegedly hitting a woman, who was defending herself.
“There was a lot of violence involved and a lot of screaming. I don’t think anyone was prepared to see that,” he said.
Another staffer Lina Keany described scenes of “anger” and “frustration”.
“It was just silly what was going on and it was scaring other customers,” she said.
The Bebawys’ barrister Matt Fordham said the issue of “self-defence was quite squarely raised in the interviews of both defendants”.
“I submit there is no evidence of unlawful violence. Self-defence is patently obvious from the CCTV.
“I further submit that taking the prosecution’s case at its highest … the most the prosecution has adduced today is witnesses have heard an altercation and have become concerned about the welfare of other persons.”
“We submit that it would be appropriate that the matter be dismissed prima facie.”
The matter was adjourned to Monday, July 27.