Threats after store brawl

Cherylly Campbell. Photo / Peter Graney

A pregnant mother who has been in custody for two months, charged with attacking Countdown staff, has spoken out for the first time.

Cherylly Juanita Campbell, aged 30, also known as Tapsell, and her mother Eve Campbell, 50, have pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault with a weapon for allegedly hitting and kicking supermarket staff who accused them of shoplifting.

The attack was filmed and went viral. It had more than 35,000 views when uploaded to YouTube and Facebook.

Campbell, who is six months pregnant, spoke to the Herald on Sunday after being released on bail this week to her parents' house in Rotorua. She said jail was the safest place for her and her unborn baby after reading hate-fuelled comments from people who had watched the video. But she said she wanted the public to know they were not shoplifting and shoppers had a right to refuse bag checks.

"I know for a fact there are no theft charges involved in the incident and I think it is sad they [the public] have been given the wrong information," Campbell said. "We have rights to refuse bag checks and if they do have any more [suspicions] they are not rightfully allowed to enforce themselves to take the law into their own hands. [Supermarket staff] can only do so much, the cops are supposed to do that, not them."

She claimed a staff member asked to look in her bag after buying groceries on January 4. When nothing untoward was found, he asked to look in her mother's bag. She refused. He then grabbed her handbag and a verbal argument escalated. "When she refused, he grabbed her with aggressiveness by the arm and then grabbed hold of her handbag and forcefully started trying to steal it from her." She said they eventually agreed to let him look in the bag but the tension had already gone "too far" so she stepped in to protect her mother.

"My mother fed me, she cleaned me, she was there on my sick bed, she raised me, she sheltered me and after being accused of something I didn't do, and see them interrogate someone you dearly love, I thought, 'nah'. The way they carried it out was really sad."

Retailers Association spokesman Barry Hellberg said shop staff could ask to inspect bags only if there was a sign warning customers of the policy.

Campbell will reappear in the Rotorua District Court on Friday.