GUILTY OF ASSAULT BUT SUZI WAS SET UP
TROUBLED reality TV star Suzi Taylor has been found guilty of a minor assault but not further punished for reacting in a way that might “have been predicted” after a deliberate set-up.
Magistrate Rosemary Gilbert on Friday cleared her of stealing the phone of furniture removalist Thelma Anderson, whom Taylor assaulted at the Gambaro Hotel in January.
“My concern is, it is clear that Ms Anderson set up the meeting for the purpose of there being filming,” Ms Gilbert said.
“It would be, I think, churlish of me to take the view that what flowed from there would be not unexpected.”
The verdict came after the
shock trial in Brisbane Magistrates Court last week in which Ms Anderson was sensationally caught out conspiring with a TV news reporter to stitch up Taylor during an altercation at a swanky Brisbane hotel.
During the hearing, Ms Anderson was caught by defence lawyer Michael Gatenby lying about the incident at the Gambaro Hotel in January, prompting him to urge the magistrate to charge her.
Witnesses have given evidence they heard Ms Anderson taunting Taylor, telling her “you’re that f--king c--t off The Block” and “look at you, you think you’re so good but you’re just a filthy sl-t”.
Police allege Taylor knocked away a phone from Ms Anderson as she recorded her, and pushed her. But explosive video played to the court showed Ms Anderson taunting Taylor and at one point pushing her.
Nine cameraman David Gibbs gave evidence that Ms Anderson was working with a male reporter from the network and they had spoken before the incident. He said he was tasked with filming the interaction between the women.