A pair of brothers have been sent to prison over a drunken brawl at the Tourist Hotel, where they punched and assaulted a female worker.
Parliament House security worker Benjamin Stewart McLennan, aged 41, and his mechanic brother Joshua McLennan, aged 33, faced Queanbeyan Local Court this week in relation to a melee they caused at the pub on 11 November, 2023.
In facts presented to the Court, the pair were reportedly drinking at Quinn and partners’ Queanbeyan hotel around 11pm and began talking to a group of four men and two women at the table beside them.
A member of the group reported the men to hotel management, saying their conversation was making them “uncomfortable”, prompting a female staff member to tell the brothers they needed to leave, due to intoxication.
The men repeatedly asked why they had been cut off, forcing the staffer to repeat herself several times.
During this exchange, both brothers made threats to “kill” the other group, before Benjamin punched one of them, sparking a brawl. Joshua joined in with his brother, throwing punches.
The female staff member attempted to stop the fight, but Benjamin reportedly punched her in the back of the head, and put her in a headlock. She required treatment later at Queanbeyan Hospital, suffering vomiting and pain in her head.
Appearing before court, both pleaded guilty to affray and to failing to leave licensed premises, and Benjamin also pled guilty to common assault.
His defence offered that he was remorseful and provided a letter of apology to the court, but admitted that he really did not remember the incident and had been seeing a psychologist.
The younger brother, who represented himself, apologised “for everything that happened”, explaining that he had drunk too much but would not do it again.
But Magistrate Roger Clisdell was not swayed by the concessions, declaring that someone working at a licensed premise should be able to do their job without winding up in hospital, and that if someone was to get “so drunk” that they do not remember their actions and assaulting a woman, then the only fitting punishment was prison.
He sentenced each to nine months, issuing Benjamin a non-parole period of five months and Joshua non-parole period of four months.
The McLennans were led out of the court in handcuffs.
