Former Darwin real estate agent Suzi Milgate has been found guilty of aggravated assault \u2014 and may face jail time \u2014 after pushing a cream-covered crepe into the face of former chief minister Natasha Fyles.<\/p>\n
In a judge-only trial in which she represented herself, Ms Milgate broke down after the\u00a0guilty verdict was delivered on Tuesday morning and accused\u00a0Judge Julie Franz of making “mistakes and errors” in her ruling.<\/p>\n
The court heard the assault occurred at Darwin’s Nightcliff Markets on September 24, 2023, when Ms Milgate approached Ms Fyles and pushed a crepe into her face.<\/p>\n
Ms Milgate described the incident as an act of “protest” against COVID-19 vaccine mandates by Ms Fyles, which she believed had negative impacts for her husband.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Milgate did not deny hitting Ms Fyles with the crepe, but disputed the level of force used, arguing a “plate of food” should not be considered as a weapon.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In handing down her decision, Judge Franz ruled Ms Fyles had been threatened with “an offensive weapon namely a crepe with cream” and that it caused her injuries.<\/p>\n
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A general practitioner testified that Natasha Fyles acquired bruising under her eye after the incident. (ABC News: Matt Garrick)<\/p>\n
Witnesses saw Milgate ‘lunge’ at Fyles<\/p>\n
Judge Franz said that witnesses saw Ms Milgate “lunge at Ms Fyles” and push the crepe into her face. \u00a0<\/p>\n
The court heard Ms Milgate asked her friend Julie Collins to film the interaction on her phone and then waited\u00a0outside a Bendigo Bank branch where Ms Fyles was attending a function.<\/p>\n
When Ms Fyles exited the building, Ms Milgate approached her saying words to the effect of: “You ignored me, I wrote to you, I asked for an exemption and you said I wasn’t worthy of your response”.<\/p>\n
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Judge Franz said Ms Milgate was aggrieved by decisions Ms Fyles had made as chief minister during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n
During sentencing submissions, Ms Milgate told the court she believed Ms Fyles had “jeopardised” her husband’s life.<\/p>\n
Ms Milgate said her husband had suffered a stroke in January \u00a02020 and required an operation but couldn’t get vaccine exemption.<\/p>\n
“My whole life turned upside down,” she told the court.<\/p>\n