Andrew Dickson: Derby dairy farmer assaults two women

Intoxicated and resentful he was stood up on a planned working bee, a Tasmanian man grabbed a woman by the throat and also assaulted another, a court has heard.

A Tasmanian dairy farmer has been convicted and fined after he grabbed a woman by the throat and pushed another over during an alcohol-fuelled stoush.

Derby man Andrew Peter Dickson, 45, pleaded guilty in Launceston Magistrates Court on Thursday to two charges of common assault, with a third charge dropped by the prosecution.

The court heard both offences occurred on March 4 about 11pm at a Jetsonville residence owned by him but inhabited by one of the women.

The pair had an agreement that they would have a working bee together on the day in question, but when the woman arrived home from work about 6pm, Dickson had already finished the job.

The pair began drinking around the fire-pit together and were later joined by a second woman and her boyfriend.

About 11pm, Dickson and the first woman began arguing, as they had agreed to do further work together the following day, but she informed him she could no longer make it as she had a party to go to.

The woman began crying and entered the house, at which point the second woman confronted Dickson.

The court heard he responded, “You f*** up,” and pushed her to the chest, causing her to fall backwards over a camp-chair and hit her head on the ground.

As the second woman was collecting her belongings to leave, the first woman, the resident, re-emerged from the house to remonstrate with Dickson.

He “grabbed her by the throat” in response, pushing her backwards onto the ground, then straddled her, the court heard.

The woman grabbed by the throat suffered a “sore and red neck”, while the woman pushed over had headaches for the next week, the court was told.

In his police interview, Dickson told officers the woman he pushed had approached him from behind and he feared she was about to nudge him into the fire, hence why he pre-emptively pushed her to create distance.

Regarding the assault on the first woman, Dickson claimed he in fact “bear hugged” her in an attempt to get her to listen, and they both accidentally fell over due to their intoxication.

Defence lawyer William Griffiths told the court his client was “most embarrassed” by his drunken conduct.

He told the court his client was resentful the first woman had stood him up for the working bee despite living in the house rent-free.

Magistrate Evan Hughes noted Dickson had no relevant criminal history.

He fined him $900, imposed costs and levies of $111.40 and recorded convictions.