Bettina Joan Macumboy, charged with assaulting Cairns CBD worker, makes bail bid

A woman who allegedly used a portable speaker to assault a Lake Street worker who was filming a violent altercation out the front of her shop has made a bid for bail in the Cairns Magistrates Court.

A WOMAN who allegedly used a portable speaker to assault a Lake Street worker who was filming a violent altercation out the front of her shop has made a bid for bail in the Cairns Magistrates Court.

Bettina Joan Macumboy, 35, appeared in custody in court on Monday charged with one count of assault occasioning bodily harm whilst intoxicated over the April 30 incident.

Lawyer Karen Longhurst made an application for bail on Ms Macumboy’s behalf, telling Magistrate Terence Browne her client had plans to visit Tully for a month from Thursday before returning to Cairns to stay with her cousin’s sister in Bentley Park.

“She explained she was in Cairns on this occasion to meet a friend off the bus,” Ms Macumboy said.

“Your Honour, she does wish to say that she is sorry for what happened in relation to this charge.”

Police prosecutor Senior Constable James Chapman in opposing bail said Ms Macumboy was in a show cause position because she was on bail for a charge of robbery at the time of the alleged offence, as well as being a risk of failing to appear.

Nine police officers handcuffed four men during an unrelated incident on Lake Street in the Cairns CBD in March.

The court heard there was an incident at around 5.20pm on April 30 on the corner of Lake and Shield Streets in the Cairns CBD.

Mr Browne, rejecting Ms Macumboy’s bail application, described how the victim – a 54-year-old Cairns North woman – was roused by a disturbance outside her business.

He described how the woman had witnessed an elderly lady being assaulted by a group and started filming on her phone, with the intention of it being used later as evidence.

Mr Browne said the woman was then allegedly set upon, assaulted, and insulted by Ms Macumboy and a 16-year-old girl, and hit in the head with a 20cm-long portable speaker.

Mr Browne noted that Ms Macumboy was living an itinerant lifestyle and in the circumstances of being on bail for a “significant charge already’, he found her an unacceptable risk of committing further offences and of failing to appear.

Ms Macumboy was remanded in custody and her matters were adjourned to June 1.

Originally published as Bettina Joan Macumboy, charged with assaulting Cairns CBD worker, makes bail bid