Muslim abuser too drunk to remember incident
A woman accused of an alleged racial attack in Huntly in which several women were abused for being Muslim has admitted her misdeeds.
Megan Sarah Louise Walton, 27, of no fixed abode in Auckland, appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Monday, charged with assault, assault using a can of alcohol as a weapon, and behaving ‘‘in an insulting manner that was likely in the circumstances to cause violence against persons’’.
The assault with a weapon charge comes with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. However, that charge was amended to the lesser charge of assault under the Crimes Act – which has a maximum penalty of one year in jail – and through her counsel Gerard Walsh she pleaded guilty to all three charges.
Through Walsh she applied for bail, and this was granted by Judge Noel Cocurullo. However, she has to return to court on Wednesday for this to be reviewed.
The conditions of Walton’s bail include not to drink alcohol and to report daily to the Huntly Police Station.
A date for sentencing will likely be set at her Wednesday court appearance.
Speaking to media outside court following her appearance, Walton said she wanted to apolo- gise to her victims and she was sorry for what had happened.
Aucklander Mehpara Khan complained to police after she and four friends stopped for a break in the Waikato town on Saturday during a road trip.
The 28-year-old corporate communications consultant said they had been travelling back to Auckland from New Plymouth when they stopped for a rest break and were approached by Walton who, they said, abused and then threw a beer can at them. ‘‘All of a sudden, this woman comes out of the bathroom and starts swearing at us and telling us that we don’t belong there and that we are Muslim b......, that need to F-off, basically,’’ said Khan. ‘‘At this point I decided to start filming her.’’
According to the police summary of facts – which mirrors Khan’s account of the incident – Walton said she was too inebriated to remember it. Fairfax NZ