School mum in bus stop stoush
TERRIFIED KIDS IN TEARS
A GEELONG school mum has escaped a conviction for assaulting a fellow parent during a wild confrontation at a bus stop.
Young children were left terrified and crying when Simone Davis attacked another mother and launched into an expletive-laden tirade in Leopold earlier this year.
The Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday heard the March 15 incident was sparked when Davis confronted a six-year-old girl over claims the girl had bullied her daughter the previous day.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Victoria McPhee said several primary school children were present — some with their mothers — when an “angry” Davis challenged the girl at a bus stop at the intersection of Ash Rd and Bellarine Highway.
She was seen yelling at the child in front of fellow students, with a witness telling police: “All the kids were crying.”
The court heard the 47-year-old also stood in the doorway of the school bus — preventing students from entering — while repeatedly swearing during an exchange with its driver.
Sen-Constable McPhee said a mother of another student intervened and told the woman to tone down her behaviour in front of the children.
She said this prompted an outburst from the Leopold mother, who threatened to punch the woman and said: “Mind your own business. You need to f--- off.”
Davis then shoved the woman twice — including a forceful push towards the road — leaving the victim with a sore knee.
The court heard she then made a second threat to punch the woman while young children at the bus stop were crying, including the victim’s five-year-old daughter, who was “in hysterics”.
Another three children were seen hiding behind a nearby car.
Davis was later interviewed by police and told them she acted out after hearing her nine-year-old daughter had been bullied on the bus.
She said she had recently separated from her partner and was emotional.
Davis pleaded guilty to unlawful assault, using threatening words and indecent language.
Defence lawyer Simon O’Halloran said his client denied yelling at the sixyear-old girl, but she acknowledged that her behaviour was “unsavoury”.
“She didn’t deal well with the confrontation,” Mr O’Halloran said.
He told the court Davis — originally from New Zealand — ran her own cleaning business and was worried about the effect a conviction could have on her ability to attain work.
Magistrate Ann McGarvie chose not to impose a conviction but slammed her for her public display of aggression. She was put on a 12-month good behaviour bond, with a condition that she undertake anger management counselling.