She asked the patron to move but he refused, so she poured the cup of tea on him – a move that yesterday cost her almost £450.
Harris, 59, was charged with one basic count of assault to which she pleaded guilty.
Brevet Sergeant Matt Stones, prosecuting, said “The victim was having a conversation about his work with a friend, and Harris was sitting at a table by herself behind him.
“She interrupted their conversation and asked them to move, because she didn’t want to listen to them any more,” reports News.com.au
“They declined and suggested she move herself if she didn’t like what she was hearing.”
He said the victim turned his back to Harris and resumed talking to his friend. “He then felt hot liquid run down his head, back and jacket. He realised Harris had poured a cup of tea over his head … he sustained no injuries.”
Harris told Special Justice McPhail she had tried to be polite: “I spoke to them in a very subservient manner.
“I said: ‘I can’t help but overhear something that really upsets me, and I’m just wondering if you wouldn’t mind moving. I said it in a very polite manner, but the gentleman involved did not respond in a polite manner.”
Harris said she agreed with the prosecution, except one detail: “The tea was cold.”
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