Scared gaming room patrons at a Yeppoon Hotel saw a ‘gun’ on Brooke Haidee Thompson’s hip

An early morning drama in the pokies room at Yeppoon’s Pacific Hotel led to a 36-year-old mother facing court on a charge of carrying a weapon in public.

Brooke Haidee Thompson.

Scared gaming room patrons at a Yeppoon hotel raised the alarm after seeing a “gun” on Brooke Haidee Thompson’s hip.

What was in fact a gel blaster, which looked like a hand gun, led to the 36-year-old facing Yeppoon Magistrates Court on November 11.

There she pleaded guilty to carrying a weapon in public.

The court heard that on August 31, about 3.20am, Thompson was in the gaming room along with a number of other patrons.

Thompson had a hand-held gel blaster concealed in the waistband of her pants.

The gel blaster was black and a replica of a hand gun.

Thompson moved her clothing in a way which made the weapon visible to other patrons.

She then removed the weapon from her waistband.

A patron saw this and was “alarmed for her safety”.

Believing Thompson was in possession of a gun, this patron raised the alarm and police were called.

Police attended and found Thompson in the gaming room with other people.

Thompson made admissions to possessing the weapon and police seized it.

The weapon had a functioning trigger and a magazine containing a gel projector.

Thompson told police she was carrying the weapon for self-defence and she thought it would intimidate people and protect her.

She further stated she did not think it was against the law to carry a gel blaster in public.

The court heard that Thompson had a criminal history which did not contain any weapons offences.

At the time of committing this offence, which the prosecution said was a “serious offence”, Thompson was on a probation order for drug offending.

A solicitor said Thompson, a mother, was extremely remorseful and embarrassed at her actions.

“She was intoxicated,” the solicitor said in relation to the night of the offence, adding that it was a “completely idiotic and stupid thing to do”.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale placed Thompson on six months’ probation and did not record a conviction.

Originally published as Scared gaming room patrons at a Yeppoon Hotel saw a ‘gun’ on Brooke Haidee Thompson’s hip