Nowra: Campbell Heald charged with common assault

A south coast man claimed his stressful day was justification for assaulting a McDonald's worker simply doing their job.

Campbell Heald leaving Nowra Local Court.

A south coast man’s late night Maccas run has ended with a conviction and hefty fine after he threw his water bottle at a worker.

Campbell Heald, 26, from Comerong, faced Nowra Local Court on Tuesday, pleading guilty to one charge of common assault.

Police documents tendered to Nowra Local Court state on the evening of February 13, Heald drove his car into the South Nowra McDonald’s drive thru, where the ordering microphone struggled to pick up his voice.

The young worker taking orders asked Heald to repeat what he said, as the speaker was “muffled”.

Rather than repeating, agreed facts state Heald “began to yell the order at the young worker”.

Driving to the payment window, the worker asked Heald if he was okay.

“I was just wondering why you yelled at me,” the young worker asked.

Campbell Heald appeared in Nowra Local Court on Tuesday.

Heald replied asking if there was going to be a problem, before the young worker asked to not be yelled at in the future.

Heald then “scuffed”, before taking his food and driving away.

Court documents stated a mere 15 minutes after the heated exchange, Heald returned to the McDonald’s and drove to the same payment window.

Sitting at the window in his car, Heald picked up his water bottle and threw it at the worker’s chest before driving away.

The worker later gave police officers Heald’s car registration from the store’s CCTV footage who used the information to gain his address.

Heald was asked by officers to attend the Nowra Police Station on March 5, where he admitted to the exchange and the assault.

He was issued a court attendance notice.

Magistrate Lisa Viney asked Heald why he would attack “someone just trying to do their job”.

“I had a stressful day and I felt like he was antagonising me, so I threw a water bottle at him,” Heald said.

“That is no justification for assault,” Mrs Viney replied.

“You went back 15 min later, so you had time to calm down, but you still went back just to attack him.”

Mrs Viney noted Heald had been charged with assault offences in the past.

“This isn’t something new for you,” she said.

“Your history does not assist you, it’s clear you have a propensity of acting out.”

Heald was convicted and fined $750 for the offence.