Sheree Mumford, also known as Sheree Chapman, 58, was sentenced in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, after earlier pleading guilty to assault.
The court heard that on October 10, an elderly woman was feeding the ducks near a pond at the Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Mumford told the woman she was too close to the birds.
The woman replied: "No, I’m not, the ducks are quite happy and have approached me".
Mumford continued pestering the woman about the issue and became aggressive before telling the woman to "f... off".
The elderly woman stood up and told Mumford not to speak to her like that.
She began filming the altercation, but the defendant snatched the phone from her hand.
When the victim reached out to take her phone back, Mumford grabbed her hand and bit her arm.
The woman feared for her safety and left the scene to call police.
Mumford was arrested the following month.
She initially told police she had grabbed the victim, but denied biting her.
Judge Deidre Orchard acknowledged Mumford had never come before the courts before and was struggling with her mental health.
"There’s nothing before me to suggest that this behaviour is in character," she said.
Judge Orchard noted the victim was very upset by the assault and was stressed about something similar happening again.
"You really affected this elderly lady’s enjoyment of the gardens," the judge told the defendant.
"I mean, biting somebody, what [were you] thinking?"
Judge Orchard deferred Mumford’s sentence for six months and ordered her to pay $200 emotional harm reparation at a rate of $20 a week.
