Tegan Myril Mathews faces Warwick court on assault charges following pub altercation

The reason behind a verbal and physical altercation at a Warwick venue, which left a victim’s face bruised and swollen, has been revealed in court.

The cause behind a Warwick woman’s bizarre pub assault has been revealed as she faced the magistrate.

Tegan Myril Mathews pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm last Wednesday following an incident at a Warwick pub.

The court was told how the 19-year-old food handler got into a physical fight following a verbal altercation on January 19, which left a woman with “bruising and swelling”.

Defence lawyer Phillip Crook detailed how Mathews was involved in a “serious motor accident” more than two years ago, which left her with PTSD and requiring to attend a brain clinic and counselling.

“As a result, her personality had changed a little bit and she was a bit short tempered - but the problem was this other woman,” Mr Crook said.

At the hotel, a woman came behind Mathews, attempting to talk to her and start a conversation, and began trying to talk about the accident with Mathews which “triggered her PTSD”.

Mathews then walked away, where the woman followed her which resulted into a yelling match between the pair, where Mathews slapped the woman’s phone out of her hand, and then slapped her in the face.

The court was told Mathews then pulled the woman’s hair before striking her again and walking away.

Police later took photos of the injuries as a result of Mathews assault, including bruising of an eye, swelling and bruising of the cheek and eye, and swelling of the head.

When Mathews spoke to police, she told them she had “just snapped” and that she had “repeatedly told the woman to go away and that she didn’t want to talk to her but she would not go”.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess labelled the offending as “serious”, but that it was not a random attack on a stranger, and there was conduct directed at Mathews that resulted in the assault.

“You don’t appear to be the type of person who goes around and picks fights with people or assaulting random people, so I accept this is an offence which was committed under circumstances which make it less serious than if it was committed under other circumstances,” she said.

Mathews was released on a $800 good behaviour bond, in effect for six months.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Tegan Myril Mathews faces Warwick court on assault charges following pub altercation