Kimberley Glover, Corey Ellis plead guilty to assault in company at Buddina IGA

A bag of spinach has sparked a brutal group bashing of an elderly Sunshine Coast supermarket owner at the hands of a Bribie Island mum and her former boyfriend.

Kimberley Jade Glover and Corey Ian Ellis faced Maroochydore District Court on Thursday.

An innocent Sunshine supermarket owner has been subjected to a brutal group attack where he was assaulted by a woman holding a bag of spinach and another man.

The feral encounter outside the Buddina IGA was filmed on CCTV, where Kimberley Jade Glover, 29, and Corey Ian Ellis, 37, attacked their 67-year-old victim who believed they were shoplifting.

The Woorim mother and Buddina dad accepted their roles in the violent melee after pleading guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in company in Maroochydore District Court on Thursday.

Crown prosecutor Madalyn Olivero said the scuffle was sparked after the pair and another person left the store without paying for certain items.

Ms Olivero said the store owner approached the group outside where a push and shove started.

The court heard the third person punched the 67-year-old in the face, which prompted Ellis to grab the older man by the arm and was pulled to the ground.

Glover entering court on Thursday.

Glover was involved in assaulting the older man during the melee, with a 28-year-old store worker trying to intervene with the fight.

The 28-year-old man was punched in the face for his trouble.

As the fight continued, the court heard the group was told repeatedly the police were called but the brawl continued.

Ms Olivero said there were numerous punches thrown before Glover grabbed a bag of spinach, which originally sparked the fight, and punched the 67-year-old in the face with it.

The full three minute and 40 second brawl was captured on CCTV and shown to the court.

The court heard the 67-year-old man suffered “appalling injuries” which included a nasal fracture, a bleeding nose, along with cuts to his eyebrow and forehead partnered with bruising and swelling.

Judge Jennifer Rosengren said the “poor man” who was assaulted had to be admitted to hospital several times after the attack because of continued haemorrhages to his nose.

Ellis appeared in court in prison greens after being on remand for more than a year.

In a victim impact statement tendered to the court, the older man spoke of the grief and stress the assault caused him and his family.

Glover spent 38 days in custody before she was granted bail while Ellis had spent 14 months on remand.

Defence barrister Lachlan Ygoa-McKeown said the Buddina man demonstrated insight while in jail, with the 37-year-old acknowledging enough was enough.

Mr Ygoa-McKeown clarified Ellis did try to separate the group before he became involved in the fight.

Defence barrister Mark Dixon, acting for Glover, pushed for the mother of six not to serve more jail time, citing the work she had done while on bail.

They both pleaded guilty in the Maroochydore District Court. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Judge Rosengren said the Woorim mother had her six kids at the time when she was involved in the fight, and told the court Glover was “behaving like a hooligan”.

Mr Dixon acknowledged the 29-year-old was “off the rails” after she left an abusive relationship and was drinking heavily at the time.

He said Glover made a “fundamental change” in her life and recognised her role and responsibility as a mother.

Judge Rosengren acknowledged the pair were both sorry for their actions, and asked Ellis to turn his life around while looking at his long criminal history.

The District Court Judge took into account Glover’s children, her sick dad and her rehabilitation, and said the 29-year-old would not be returning to jail on Thursday. Judge Rosengren however said if she put one foot out, she’d go back to jail.

Ellis was sentenced to 411 days in jail, which he had already served, and was released from custody.

Glover was sentenced to 18 months’ jail but granted her immediate parole.

Originally published as Kimberley Glover, Corey Ellis plead guilty to assault in company at Buddina IGA