Mother hit teen with rock: court

Objected to noisy late night rider

THROWING a rock at an adversary which struck him in the head was no way to settle disputes, a Toowoomba magistrate has advised a mother of four.

Melissa Maree Steinhardt had become upset with a 19year-old man riding a Yamaha motorcycle near her family’s Gowrie Junction home about 9.40pm, January 27, which had disturbed her children’s sleep.

Her partner had gone to speak with the teenager but when that had little effect she had become involved in the argument during which she picked up a rock and threw it at the teen, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

The rock struck the teen in the head, breaking the skin, police prosecutor Alistair Windsor told the court.

She later made full admissions to police about the incident, Senior Constable Windsor said.

Steinhardt, who had no criminal history at all, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Her solicitor Troy Krahenbring told the court his client had become upset with the teenager riding his motorcycle “at all hours of the night”.

She had gone to speak with the complainant believing a “mother’s touch” might have more success than had her partner in dealing with the teenager, he said.

The teenager had become quite hostile to his client to which she took offence.

Though she had thrown the rock in the complainant’s direction, she had never intended for the rock to hit him in the head, Mr Krahenbring submitted.

Magistrate Damian Carroll said he understood the mother’s frustration at the time.

“I can understand your level of exasperation but you can’t take the steps you did,” he told her.

Mr Carroll ordered the conviction not be recorded and imposed a $1000 fine.