Woman fined $400 for biting smoker
24 April 2007
By BRITTON BROUN - The Dominion Post

Fuelled by alcohol and fuming at smokers puffing away in a designated smoking area, Annie McCullum decided to take the law into her own hands - and a victim's thumb into her mouth.

The Marton woman was so incensed that she attacked fellow patrons in a Feilding bar's beer garden on St Patrick's Day, biting one woman so badly she needed hospital treatment.

McCullum, 40, pleaded guilty to one charge of assault and was sentenced in Feilding District Court yesterday, with her $400 fine going to cover her victim's medical costs.

After a day of drinking on March 17 at Paddy Lynch's Public House in Feilding, McCullum got into an argument with a group of smokers who sat down at her table in the garden bar around 9pm.

After she became aggressive and flicked the group's cigarettes, one woman told McCullum to go back inside if she did not like the smoke.

McCullum got to her feet and threatened "to take her on", and as bystanders moved to separate the pair she bit into the woman's right thumb.

The woman was taken to hospital, her thumb bleeding heavily, and police found an abusive McCullum still at the pub.

Police said McCullum was very intoxicated, spoke incoherently, and at a later interview could not remember anything about the bite.

In court McCullum, who had no previous convictions, said she was "very sorry" for her actions.

Hospitality Association chief executive Bruce Robertson said such incidents were rare.

Bars and restaurants the association represented had not reported many problems since smoking was banned. "It's accepted smokers have to go somewhere ."