Man fined for racial, vile abuse at barmaid

A HEAVILY intoxicated man took exception to being booted from the historic Lees Hotel in Ingham, launching a vile, racist verbal assault against a fearful Jewish barmaid and threatening her with a table.

Don Mark Charles Idai, 46, pleaded guilty to creating a disturbance in a licensed premises when he appeared in the Ingham Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Police prosecutor Len Brown said Idai, the subject of a three-month ban from the famous Pub With No Beer for previous unruly behaviour, sat down in the hotel’s alfresco dining area on Lannercost Street at 1.30pm on Saturday, August 15.

He said publican Glenn Connell noticed Idai’s presence and asked him to leave, also noting that his unwanted guest appeared to be heavily intoxicated.

Mr Brown said Idai entered the bar area, launching his tirade.

“Words to the effect of ‘f--you Glenn, f--- your bar’,” he said.

Mr Brown said the barmaid asked Idai to leave, with the defendant responding with “racial slurs”.

“Saying ‘f--- you Arab, f--you, you f---ing Arab c---’,” he said.

“He picked up a table from the front of the hotel and motioned to throw it through the front door at the barmaid.”

Mr Brown said the barmaid was “very fearful of Mr Idai’s actions”.

“The barmaid is also Jewish and highly offended by these racial remarks.”

Mr Brown said Idai had a history of public nuisance convictions.

Defence lawyer Margaret Crowther of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service said Idai, a

Newstart recipient, had since apologised to Mr Connell for his behaviour.

Magistrate Scott Luxton said Idai’s behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.

“The best thing for you to do was leave and go home, rather than carry on like you did,” he said.

“I don’t know what started the verbal between you and the barmaid, but you used derogatory language toward her, which clearly upset her, and understandably so given what has been put before the court.”

Idai was convicted and fined $600.

A spokesperson for the Lees Hotel, which is under new management and is being refurbished, told the Townsville Bulletin that the disturbance was an isolated incident and no reflection on the pub, which was bouncing back from COVID-19 with the launch of a refurbished gaming room and popular new steak house.