Three family members have a jail term hanging over their heads after they ganged up on a punter over a yellow bucket hat and an insult about teeth.
Now all three have been banned from the venue in a regional mining town where there are only two pubs.
The victim had been drinking in the deck area at the Collinsville Workers Club on January 26, 2023.
He had won a prize pack earlier that day that included a yellow bucket hat, which he wore and which Kristie Altmann and her group of friends kept stealing from his head.
Bowen Magistrates Court heard that about 8.15pm the hat was stolen again and the victim “went over to the group demanding it back”.
Kristie Altmann put the hat on her head and the victim snatched it back after which “the group erupted at (him) for removing it too forcefully”.
Kristie Altmann pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in company over an assault at the Collinsville Workers Club on Australia Day 2023.
At this point Michael Aaron Altmann walked over with his wife and began arguing with the victim, threatening to hit him and calling him “a f–king joke”.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors said the victim responded: “I’ve got more jokes than you do teeth.”
The victim was sitting down when Kristie Altmann “swung a punch in his direction striking the side of his face with such force that his head flung backwards and caused immediate pain”, Sergeant Myors said.
The court heard as the victim tried to get away the Altmanns “repeatedly threw punches” at his head.
Then their son-in-law Tyler Mark Wright joined the melee lashing out at the victim, who was forced onto the ground.
Sergeant Myors said while in this position Michael Altmann and Wright repeatedly kicked him until they were each pulled away by a member of the public.
The victim suffered severe swelling and bruising, as well as cuts to his face.
Tyler Mark Wright pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in company over an assault at the Collinsville Workers Club on Australia Day 2023.
The trio pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm in company, and Michael Altmann pleaded guilty to a further charge of being a public nuisance over a fight after he was evicted from the pub.
‘BEGGARS BELIEF IT’S OVER A HAT’
Defence solicitor Cleo Rewald, for the trio, said the offending occurred “over a very minor item” under circumstances where the pub was packed and people had been drinking a lot of alcohol.
“It beggars belief it’s over a hat,” Ms Rewald said.
“It has certainly escalated well beyond proportion for what it should have … It was a bit of fun and games until it was no longer.”
Michael Altmann, 45-year-old Collinsville mine production supervisor, “essentially came to the aid of his wife”, Ms Rewald said, conceding Kristie Altmann, 44, instigated the violence.
Ms Rewald said it was in direct response to the victim’s insult about her husband’s teeth.
Michael Aaron Altmann pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm in company over an assault at the Collinsville Workers Club on Australia Day 2023.
Michael Altmann had involved himself in the violence after the victim pushed his wife.
“After that it gets a bit messy,” Ms Rewald said, adding Wright, 20, had thought the victim had assaulted his mother in law.
“Mr Wright probably should have not involved himself at all.”
Ms Rewald said all three held good jobs – Kristie Wright was a driver at the mines and Wright was a plumber with Whitsunday Regional Council – were held in good regard by colleagues and friends, and were remorseful for their conduct.
Kristie Altmann, Michael Altmann and Wright were each jailed for nine months, wholly suspended for 12 months, and ordered to pay $500 compensation within 30 days to the victim.