Ipswich mum Melinda Anne Rees seriously assaulted neighbour over accusations against kids

An Ipswich mum left her elderly neighbour battered in the street after unleashing her fury in a “gross over-reaction” to the neighbour’s “unfair” accusations against her kids.

Karalee mum Melinda Anne Rees. Picture: Facebook/Melinda Rees

An Ipswich magistrate ordered a local mum-of-six to sweat in lockup today as he considered her fate for a vicious attack on a neighbour who criticised her children.

Karalee-based cleaner Melinda Anne Rees, 38, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates Court on September 12 to seriously assaulting a person over 60.

She also pleaded guilty to possessing dangerous drugs (0.1g cannabis), possessing utensils or pipes (a bong), and contravening a direction or requirement of police.

The court heard Rees had assaulted her mother-in-law’s neighbour on April 12 in Chuwar.

Rees and her six children had been staying with her mother-in-law after their own house flooded in the February 2022 floods, the court heard.

On April 12, the victim had accused Rees’ children of throwing oranges over her fence.

The court heard that allegation was denied.

The victim had been coming up the laneway to look for the children’s guardian when Rees approached her.

After speaking for a short time, Rees grabbed the victim by the hair and pulled her towards the ground – causing her to fall.

Rees then kicked her in the side under her arm, before walking away.

The court heard the neighbour got to her feet and made comments to the effect of “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”.

Rees ran back towards her, pulled her hair again and kicked her in the leg, causing her to fall once more.

The court heard the victim had been recovering from two surgical procedures at the time and suffered bruising from the assault.

Defence lawyer Matthew Fairclough said his client had complied with police and expressed remorse at the time.

“She recognised – as of course she had to recognise – that her reaction had been a gross over-reaction,” he said.

Mr Fairclough said his client was protective of her children and had “reacted to what she perceived at the time to be an unfair situation”.

The court heard Rees had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but the extent to which the disorder had impacted her actions was unknown.

Rees had previously been given a three month suspended sentence for an earlier offence of serious assault on a person over the age of 60.

On that occasion in 2014, she had punched a 69-year-old in the face when they came into her property to gather some escaped horses, the court heard.

Her history was otherwise mostly comprised of speeding offences.

Magistrate Dennis Kinsella remanded Rees in custody for a number of hours while he considered whether she should serve any actual time in custody.

When the matter resumed at 2pm, Rees appeared over video link from the watch-house.

Mr Kinsella told her he had decided to grant her immediate parole, but warned her the same leniency would be afforded to her in future.

“I almost can guarantee that you will go to jail if you commit another offence like this, even if it is in another nine or 10 years’ time,” Mr Kinsella said.

“This behaviour was unacceptable. You had very little provocation”

Rees was noticeably frustrated and tearing up at that stage.

She was sentenced to three months imprisonment, with immediate parole release.

Mr Kinsella commented that Rees had “seemed to find something very funny” while he was speaking “particularly when [he] chastised her about how serious this was”.

Rees responded to say she “didn’t find anything funny,” but Mr Kinsella interrupted her saying: “This is your problem. You need to learn how to keep control. I have not invited you to talk”.

He encouraged her to spend the next nine months on parole addressing “whatever issues she needs to unpack”.

Originally published as Ipswich mum Melinda Anne Rees seriously assaulted neighbour over accusations against kids