A MARRIED couple caught up in a late-night brawl on Monaro Street have been told their actions were ‘‘ludicrous’’ in Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday.
Jennifer Ann Cowden, 31, and her husband James Thomas Croke, 33, were having a night out at Walsh’s Hotel on October 28. About midnight they left the bar and headed down Monaro Street for a kebab.
At about 1am, they began exchanging obscenities with a group of two women and a man who were walking on the opposite side of the street. The couple kept walking but when the abuse continued Croke crossed the street to confront the trio.
During the argument he punched one woman in the head, causing swelling to her face. When a second woman intervened to defend her friend she was also punched in the face a number of times.
The man then intervened and was also punched in the face several times. He fell to the ground where Croke and Cowden continued to kick him.
When police arrived to question the intoxicated couple the male victim was still on the ground. Croke and Cowden both pleaded guilty to common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm in Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday.
Magistrate Chris Bone said they both had good records and he had difficulty understanding why the fight broke out.
“It seems these were just two drunk groups coming towards each other and for no reason they started yelling abuse,” he said.
Magistrate Bone told the couple that at their age they should know how to better handle the situation. “To go out and get involved in an act of violence is ludicrous,” he said.
“There is no reason for this, other than that you were a bit peeved at what the other group said.”
Both offenders were fined a total of $700 for the incident.