Reality star ‘provoked’
Judge sets aside assault conviction due to victim’s camera antics
FORMER reality TV star Suzi Taylor has had an assault conviction set aside after a judge found she was provoked by a woman who filmed her to provide exciting footage for television media.
Judge Vicki Loury found Ms Taylor was deprived of self-control when she reacted violently to being filmed, during a “set up’’ for television at Brisbane’s Gambaro’s Hotel in 2020.
She said the assault complainant, furniture removalist Thelma Anderson, was “complicit in bringing about a confrontation with Ms Taylor”.
The judge said Ms Anderson’s actions in continuing to film Ms Taylor were to incite a violent response.
“Ms Anderson’s conduct was sufficient to deprive an ordinary person of the power of self-control and clearly did provoke Ms Taylor to react in the manner in which she did,” Judge Loury said.
The judge said there was insufficient evidence for the prosecution to exclude beyond reasonable doubt that Ms Taylor was acting under provocation when she struck Ms Anderson.
Ms Anderson had met Ms Taylor at the hotel to give her a $200 refund, but after the 2015 The Block contestant realised she was being filmed by a Channel 9 cameraman with a mobile phone, she confronted him.
Police alleged Ms Taylor then knocked a phone from Ms Anderson’s hand, as she recorded what was happening, and pushed her during the altercation. “The only reasonable inference open on the evidence was that Ms Anderson filmed Ms Taylor in order to incite some violence from her which would be of interest to the television media,’’ Judge Loury said.
In October, 2020, Ms Taylor was acquitted of stealing Ms Anderson’s mobile phone, but convicted of common assault by a magistrate, but not punished.
The magistrate had noted the prosecution opened its common assault case on the basis that Ms Taylor pushed Ms Anderson on the shoulder.
On Friday the judge allowed the appeal, set aside the conviction, dismissed the common assault complaint and ordered the Commissioner of Police to pay Ms Taylor’s $1500 trial costs.
“Suzi is thrilled with the outcome and happy that chapter of her life is now over,” Ms Taylor’s solicitor Michael Gatenby said.