Drunk Uber passenger punches her driver in the head as he travelled at 100km/h – because he wouldn’t stay the night with her
- Mother of two has punched her Uber driver in the head after he rejected her
- Emma Louise Cope was being driven home in Queensland in September, 2020
- The 42-year-old asked her driver to spend the night and hit him when he said no
A drunken mother-of-two has punched her Uber driver in the head in a car travelling over 100mk/h after he refused to spend the night with her, a court has heard.
Emma Louise Cope was being taken to her Queensland home in September, 2020 when she climbed from the back into the front seat to proposition the ride share driver.
When the man declined the 42-year-old punched him in the head, before he pulled over and was taken to hospital.
A drunken mother-of-two has punched her Uber driver in the head in a car travelling over 100mk/h after he refused to spend the night with her
The incident occurred on September 16, 2020 near Glenview when Ms Cope was riding in an Uber on the Bruce Highway, which links Brisbane to far north Queensland.
The pair were driving in a 110km/h zone when the assault occurred, which police prosecutor Rebecca Lambert said was ‘good luck’ that there weren’t ‘more severe consequences’.
‘He was driving in a 110km/h zone, close to the roadworks area on the Bruce Highway, and in my submission it was good luck rather than good management that it hasn’t resulted in more severe consequences,’ she told Maroochydore Magistrates Court.
‘The defendant was intoxicated at the time of the incident and she stated to police that she couldn’t recall the incident.’
The court heard Ms Cope struggles with alcohol problems and post traumatic stress disorder as a result of a childhood trauma
The car experienced damages amounting to $6,335 which was paid by an insurance company.
The court heard Ms Cope struggles with alcohol problems and post traumatic stress disorder as a result of a childhood trauma.
Ms Cope has alcohol-related offences in her past and has been sentenced before for dangerously operated a vehicle and causing a four-car crash in Maroochydore.
Her lawyer said that Ms Cope has been ostracised by her family and argued she had no history of ‘a like nature’ in asking for reduced fines.
The court found her guilty of drunken assault and sentenced Ms Cope to 200 hours of community service and $1,200 in compensation to the driver on top of the insurance payout.
No conviction was recorded but the judge did say she would likely see a conviction if she faced court again.
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