Taysha Payne: Albury waitress bashes women after being ‘body shamed’

An Albury waitress savagely bashed two women after being body shamed but her victims said “she had the wrong people”.

Two women were beaten on the driveway of the Fountain Court Motor Inn, Albury.

An Albury waitress savagely bashed two women after being body shamed but her victims said “she had the wrong people”.

Taysha Payne, 19, pleaded guilty to assault charges in Albury Local Court on Monday after she punched and kicked two women she thought had earlier in the night made negative comments about her body.

One girl’s nose was broken, and the other was left bloody and bruised.

Payne’s defence solicitor Tim Hemsley said the victims made “body shaming” comments to his client.

But the court heard one of the victims said “I think you have the wrong people” when they were attacked.

According to court documents, the victims were walking to Sodens Hotel when they stopped and sat in the driveway of the Fountain Court Motor Inn about 10.40pm on October 3, 2020.

Payne walked past with a group of men and said: “You girls were yelling at me earlier”.

One of the victims replied: “I think you have the wrong people”.

Payne hit the woman in the head and kicked the other woman in the face, giving her a nose bleed.

The second victim covered her face with her hands before Payne returned to the first victim and kicked and punched her, fracturing her nose.

Payne left and an ambulance was called for the victims who were found huddled together on the driveway of the motor inn and taken to Albury Base Hospital.

Later that night, Payne attacked another woman standing on the corner of Dean and Olive streets.

She was walking with the group of men when the men stopped and started talking to the victim before they started arguing.

Payne hit her, pulling her hair.

The victim hit back before Payne punched her again, splitting her lip.

One of the men pulled Payne away but she kept yelling.

Payne was arrested at a Wodonga home on January 14.

Magistrate Richard Funston was appalled at her behaviour.

“Who does Ms Payne think she is going around beating up people?” Mr Funston said.

“It’s absolutely filthy behaviour.

“She’s got a real anger management problem.”

Mr Hemsley said his client had two drinks on the night.

He said Payne had since got a part-time job as a waitress, and had a steady boyfriend.

“She acknowledges she needs anger management counselling,” Mr Hemsley said.

“She has no previous matters of this kind, it’s an isolated incident.

“There’s obviously something that triggered her.”

Police prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Pike said if Payne was a man, the threshold for jail would be crossed.

“I’m submitting just because she’s female it doesn’t mean the threshold hasn’t been crossed,” Sgt Pike said.

Mr Funston said he had a “very dim view” of Payne’s offending.

“The only reason I’m not going to lock it up today is because you’re young and you entered pleas of guilty,” he said.

Payne was sentenced to a CCO for 12 months with supervision and an extra condition that she attend anger management counselling.