Kristie Jade Batson faces Warwick court for disturbing Dalby pub assault, drug charges

Comments about a woman’s ex-partner was all it took to start a violent altercation in a Dalby pub, with a Warwick mother pulling another woman's hair before threatening her with a knife.

Kristie Jade Batson's disturbing string of offences, including assaulting another woman in a Dalby pub, saw her land in front of the magistrate

A court has been told a mother of four threatened another woman with a barstool before arming herself with a knife, telling the victim “I’ll stab you”, with comments about the assailant’s ex-partner triggering the disturbing altercation.

Warwick woman Kristie Jade Batson, pleaded guilty on Monday in the Rose City’s Magistrates Court to a string of charges ranging from assault occasioning bodily harm, public nuisance, stealing and two drug driving charges.

She also pleaded guilty to a failure to appear charge, breach of bail charge as well as two counts of contravening a police direction.

The magistrate described the most “concerning” offending as the assault occasioning bodily harm and public nuisance charges, that related to an incident in Dalby at the Australian Hotel in November 2022.

The 33-year-old got into an altercation with another patron after the punter approached Batson and made a comment regarding an ex-partner, police prosecutor Sergeant Steve de Lissa said.

“They had a short conversation before walking away, before (Batson) turned around and punched the victim on her left cheek, then pushing her and pulling her on the ground by her hair,” Sergeant de Lissa said.

Batson grabbed a barstool and began holding it to the woman in a “threatening manner” and began to swing it.

The court was told Batson yelled “you better watch your back, I’ll come after you and your mum”.

MUM OF FOUR GRABBED A STEAK KNIFE

The mum-of-four then grabbed a steak knife from a nearby table, and wielded it saying “I’ll stab you right now” before putting it down.

The woman was also busted driving with drugs in her system twice, once occurring on October 22, 2022, and the other days later on October 24, 2022 in Dalby.

Upon returning to Warwick the woman racked up a number of offences including stealing from a Rose City Shoppingworld business on May 10, where she walked around the store browsing before putting a perfume bottle in her handbag and walked out.

Kristie Jade Batson plead guilty to nine charges on Monday

While Batson was in Dalby committing the offences, she was supposed to be living at an address in Warwick, adding the breach of bail to her growing list of charges.

WOMAN HAD BEEN USING DRUGS SINCE 13

Defence lawyer Sarah Campbell told the court the 33-year-old had been using drugs to “self-medicate” since she was 13, and it had grew into methamphetamine use.

Ms Campbell noted the offending was a “stupid decision”, “out of character” and was “emotionally driven and reactive”.

“Majority of the offending was drug related, but my client presents with the fact she has never committed an offence of violence,” Ms Campbell said.

Magistrate Andrew Cridland was quick to agree with the defence, saying all of the charges related to drug use.

“There is a serious drug problem here that needs to be addressed,” Mr Cridland said.

“What’s extremely concerning is the knife incident, regarding the number of deaths in this state involving knives. The community needs to be deterred from unprovoked attacks and knife use.”

Batson was sentenced to a two year probation order and convictions were recorded.

For the two charges of failing to comply with police direction, she was convicted but not further punished, with convictions recorded.

Batson was also suspended from driving for 18 months.

Originally published as Kristie Jade Batson faces Warwick court for disturbing Dalby pub assault, drug charges