Chef's partner attacks waitress

A disgruntled Tauranga woman, believing her partner was having an affair with a waitress at a central city restaurant, confronted and attacked the young woman and shoved the business owner.

Michelle Hollis-Johns, 51, who pleaded guilty to two charges of common assault in Tauranga District Court last week, was fined $250, plus $132.89 for one charge.

She has also been ordered to come up if called upon in six months in relation to the second charge.

The first assault occurred about 10.15pm on December 15 after Hollis-Johns turned up at the restaurant where her now ex-partner works as a chef and demanded to know a waitress' name.

The woman refused to tell her, but when a restaurant manager stepped in and disclosed her name, Hollis-Johns became abusive towards the waitress and was asked to leave. She returned to the restaurant a short time later, entered the kitchen area and abused the waitress again, then slapped her on the left cheek. She was then escorted from the premises.

The next day Hollis-Johns returned to the restaurant, spoke to the female owner and asked to speak to her ex-partner, and again was asked to leave.

An agitated Hollis-Johns began abusing the owner and while she was being escorted from the restaurant she pushed the owner on her shoulder in front of customers.

At the front door, Hollis-Johns continued to hurl abuse at the owner, and flipped two plates of food out of the hands of a waitress causing them to smash to the ground as she left.

Police located her a short time later.

Her lawyer Cate Andersen told Judge Christopher Harding that the background to her client's offending "was a little more complex" than the police summary of facts revealed.

Ms Andersen said Hollis-Johns was in relationship with the chef at the restaurant, who is now her ex-partner, and was upset about him allegedly having an affair with the first victim.

Hollis-Johns accepts her behaviour was "entirely unacceptable" and while no excuse for what occurred, alcohol had played a part in her offending, she said.

Ms Andersen said her client had a very limited prior criminal history and urged the judge to impose a sentence of come up if called upon on both charges and possibly order some reparation.

Judge Harding told Hollis-Johns that there was absolutely no excuse for her actions as "the waitress had done nothing to you".

Outside court the restaurant owners, who did not wish to be named, told the Bay of Plenty Times that the 19-year-old waitress was left "shocked and shaken" by what occurred.

The female owner said she too was "left shaken and scared" and was on edge for several days.

The woman said the waitress was totally innocent of the accusations being made against her, and had no idea who Hollis-Johns was until she was assaulted, neither did she.

The male owner said what occurred was "not nice" as Hollis-Johns was yelling and swearing in front of customers during both incidents.