A GYMPIE mum who pushed her pram into a man’s shins and then hit him three times in the middle of a Gympie shopping centre claimed he touched her son while moving past them on an escalator.

Temena Balfour, 33, pleaded guilty to assault on Monday for “striking” a man three times at the top of a set of escalators in Gympie Central Shopping Centre.

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The man, who was behind her on the escalator, asked her young son to move out the way so he could walk past them, which he did, but Balfour, who claims she saw the man touch her son, shouted at him “you touched my child.”

He replied “what are you talking about?” and turned around to face her when he got to the top of the escalator.

The court heard Balfour then pushed her pram into the man’s shins when she reached the top causing him to stumble back, but Balfour claimed she had no choice as the escalator was moving and the man did not move out of the way.

Balfour then pushed him in the chest, and he asked her if she “was on drugs”, and she pushed him again in the shoulder.

In April, shortly after the incident, Balfour attended the police station voluntarily, but declined an interview and was issued a notice to appear.

The court heard Balfour was a single mum of three children, as Balfour’s youngest child, a baby who she brought to court with her, cried throughout the proceedings.

Magistrate Chris Callaghan told her she had shown no remorse, and fined her $200, with no conviction recorded.