Shock as paint hurled at a Parkwood woman exercising at night

AT FIRST, Maddi Turnbull thought the laughing men in a passing car were content simply to mock her. Then they returned with a tin of paint.

AT first Maddi Turnbull thought the car full of laughing men were content with mocking her as she exercised – until they hooned back and doused her with a can of paint.

The 24-year-old graphic design student was doing her usual 5km route around her Parkwood neighbourhood on Thursday night when the group roared past her on Wardley Street about 9.55pm while shouting out at her.

“Next thing I saw these headlights and as I said to the police, I just had this gut feeling. I was alone and I just knew it was them again,” Ms Turnbull said.

“They stopped and the rear passenger was hanging out the window and I think he was a bit shocked I started walking toward them but I wasn’t going to put up with that.

Maddi Turnbull was exercising in the evening near her home when a group of men hooned up and threw a can of paint over her. Picture: Jerad Williams

“I didn’t see the can of paint until he lifted it to throw at me.

“I turned to avoid it and it still got me across my face and my hair, across my shirt.”

A shaken Ms Turnbull immediately went home and at the urging of her mother Joanna Egart contacted Southport Police Station.

Officers are investigating and given the in-depth description provided to them by Ms Turnbull are confident they will be able to track down the culprits.

Ms Turnbull said while she knew some people may question why she chose to exercise after dark, women had the right to go walking in their own neighbourhoods without being assaulted.

“It’s not just the fact they threw paint on me and that I’m already feeling low because I’m trying to lose weight, it’s that they had no idea who I was and yet they targeted me from the get go,” Ms Turnbull said.

Maddi Turnbull. Picture: Jerad Williams

“They didn’t know me whatsoever but they sized me up when they went past and came back with a full intention of hurting me.

“I was deterred for probably two nights but then it made me angry and even more motivated to keep exercising.”

Southport station’s Acting Senior Sergeant Brendan Whiblen confirmed officers were investigating the incident.

“She has provided us with a description of the vehicle and we’ll continue to make inquiries,” he said.

“We’re confident it is the right vehicle – it’s just a matter of tracking it down.

“We encourage everyone to come forward to report assaults and we want to work with the community to keep them safe.”

Originally published as Shock as paint hurled at a Parkwood woman exercising at night