Violent pub patron given reprieve

A drinker who was banned from all bars in her state after she assaulted a pub security guard should still be able to attend some licensed premises, a liquor regulator has ruled.

Karlee Robinson was arrested and charged with assault causing actual bodily harm after she abused and then struck a licensed crowd controller at Roebuck Bay Hotel in Broome, Western Australia, in February this year.

She was barred from all licensed premises in the state other than bottleshops following the incident, which caused the crowd controller to sustain facial injuries.

But after receiving a spent conviction order in the subsequent court proceedings, Robinson sought to have the ban relaxed.

In her application to the WA Liquor Commission, she argued that she wanted to be able to continue to play netball and thus requested admission to licensed sporting clubs.

She also requested to be able to visit licensed restaurants, claiming the availability of unlicensed eating establishments was extremely limited in her home town of Exmouth.

Chairperson Jim Freemantle expressed concern that in her application Robinson "offered nothing by way of mitigation or explanation and expressed no remorse".

"She offered nothing to suggest that she would not react in the same way in similar circumstances. I can only conclude that she does not see her behaviour as anything to be much concerned about," he said.

But he nonetheless agreed to vary the banning order, accepting there was little likelihood of her posing any danger to the public at licensed restaurants or sporting clubs.

Source: The Shout, 4 June 2012