A disagreement between 58-year-old Arthur Mathieson and his waitress resulted in him punching her twice.
Mathieson was dining at the Law Courts Hotel in Dunedin when the altercation happened. Mathieson had asked for gravy on his meal, but when the food came, the gravy was on the side. Upon arguing with the waitress about the meal, Mathieson was offered a refund before being asked to leave. This was when Mathieson punched the waitress, once in the chest, and once in the back.
Judge Michael Turner said that this was an unprovoked attack and that nothing can excuse his behaviour. The victim got over the soreness to her chest within a couple of days, but the psychological effects had been ongoing. Following the incident, the woman, who had aspired to be a restaurant manager was shaken and without the ability to trust people as much.
Mathieson was sentenced to 100 hours of community work and ordered to pay the victim $500.
