Monique Jemma Allen pleaded guilty to common assault after fight with friend

A fight over a former flame ended in bushes outside a Mackay pub when a disability worker assaulted her friend.

Birthday celebrations were ruined after a late-night scuffle between a disability worker and her friend ended on the pavement outside a popular Mackay bar.

Monique Jemma Allen got into a fight with a friend who had been comforting an upset girl outside of McGuires Hotel on August 7, 2021.

Prosecutor David Epstein told Mackay Magistrates Court the 20-year-old disability worker approached the girl about 10.30pm, who was “highly emotional” about seeing her former boyfriend at a nearby bar.

Allen told the girl her former flame was looking for her, to which her friend turned to Allen, upset she had mentioned the boy’s name.

Monique Jemma Allen got into a fight with a friend who had been comforting an upset girl outside of McGuires Hotel on August 7, 2021. Picture: Contributed

The court heard Allen said ‘why the f--k are you talking to me like that’ and pushed her friend with two hands in the chest.

Allen was then pushed back in the chest before grabbing her friend’s hair and dragging her to the ground.

The pair of fighting girls landed in bushes nearby, where Allen continued to shake and pull her friend’s hair.

The victim said she was unable to free herself from Allen’s grasp, which meant she was not able to get up or move on from the altercation.

When she eventually freed her friend from her grasp, Allen said she thought “we were supposed to be friends, we’re not, you’re a f– king nerd”.

Monique Jemma Allen got into a fight with a friend who had been comforting an upset girl outside of McGuires Hotel on August 7, 2021.

Allen told police she had a few drinks throughout the night and she was intoxicated at the time of the fight.

Defence solicitor Peter Clarke said Allen was very remorseful and of good character, with no criminal convictions.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan agreed, and said she was “content” giving the Andergrove resident a second chance.

“This is a serious charge, it’s punishable by a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment, it’s not a minor charge,” she said.

“This is out of character for you, I have a very impressive reference saying how responsible you are, how good at your job you are and what an integral part of that organisation that you are.

“You are a special kind of person because you do work in the disability sector.”

Allen pleaded guilty to common assault and was put on a good-behaviour bond and ordered to pay $400 compensation to the victim.

A conviction was not recorded.

Originally published as Monique Jemma Allen pleaded guilty to common assault after fight with friend