AN ASSAULT charge against a Westbury Community Health Centre employee has been dismissed after a magistrate accepted her lawyer's submission that it was "a joke gone wrong".
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Carolyn Joan Roberts, 61, faced the Launceston Magistrates Court on Monday accused of common assault.
Defence solicitor Fred Lester said his client pleaded guilty to the charge.
Police prosecutor Konrad Plachta told the court that Roberts was managing the Westbury Community Health Centre on February 12 about 2.30pm and appeared to be frustrated with an employee.
Mr Plachta said Roberts put her hands around the throat of the complainant and her head near her ear and said, "If I can't strangle you I will have to strangle Helen".
He said Roberts applied a small amount of pressure.
Mr Plachta said the complainant took time off work and Roberts received counselling.
He said Roberts told police she had a good working relationship with the complainant, to the extent they would give each other shoulder massages.
Mr Lester, in his plea in mitigation, handed up a letter from the Tasmanian Health Organisation on behalf of his client.
"This was an attempt at humour gone terribly wrong," he said.
Mr Lester said Roberts was terribly upset at the effect on the complainant.
He said his client was "of impeccable character".
Magistrate Simon Brown said he accepted that Roberts was sharing a joke which went wrong.
He said while it was technically an assault, without conviction, he dismissed the charge.