CHRISTOPHER Quinlivan and his 68-year-old mother Margaret left diners terrified when they launched into a series of drunken and unprovoked attacks at a popular Cardiff family restaurant, punching and kicking people, uttering vile threats and smashing a chair into an elderly man's face.
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On Thursday, in Toronto Local Court, it was their turn to be scared as they listened to a magistrate outline the "extraordinary" acts of violence perpetrated on a number of restaurant-goers who were simply trying to enjoy a meal at Cardiff Seafood Italian Cuisine at 6pm on a Saturday night in March.
"Nobody who goes out for a Saturday night dinner should find this on the menu," Magistrate Peter Barnett said.
Christopher Quinlivan, a 40-year-old engineer, who was the instigator of the violence and assaulted three men - including retired police officer Tim Wilson and the 79-year-old man who was struck with the chair - was visibly shaking as he was told he would not be going home on Thursday.
He hugged his mother before he was led away down to the courthouse cells.
Margaret Quinlivan, a 68-year-old grandmother, who abused and violently attacked Mr Wilson's wife Kerryn, narrowly avoided a jail term but only because of her age and prior unblemished criminal record.
She was placed on an 18-month intensive corrections order and told to perform 250 hours of community service.
Earlier, the mother and son had been labelled "scum of the earth" by Mrs Wilson, who read an emotional victim impact statement and outlined the trauma she had suffered since the attacks, including flashbacks, nightmares and extreme stress.
"One of my nightmares ended with me in my walk-in wardrobe saying 'please help me, I am in Cardiff, no one is coming to help me'," Mrs Wilson said. "I had actually phoned triple-zero in my nightmare and the police were calling back to see if I was OK."
Mr Wilson, a retired police officer with three decades experience, said the couple had been reluctant to go out for dinner after the unprovoked attacks but were now hopeful of moving on.
Mr Quinlivan said he'd had a "stressful week at work" and began drinking about midday on March 16 before heading to the popular Cardiff restaurant with family about 6pm.
There were a number of other families and patrons enjoying a meal, but Mr Quinlivan was behaving obnoxiously and being aggressive, loud and swearing and was repeatedly told by other diners to quiet down.
He was also hassling wait staff to hold his hand and dance with him.
He responded by tackling Mr Wilson to the ground and launching a brutal assault.
After seeing her husband being assaulted, Mrs Wilson approached and was confronted by Mrs Quinlivan, who yelled at her "you're a f---ing slut, you started this".
Mrs Quinlivan punched Mrs Wilson to the face and kicked her, dragging her to the ground and the pair rolled out the front door.
While on the ground, Mrs Quinlivan continued to punch Mrs Wilson in the face a number of times before she managed to break free and seek refuge in the kitchen.
While this was happening, another diner - a 79-year-old man - grabbed Mr Quinlivan in a chokehold from behind to try to stop the attack on Mr Wilson.
But the 79-year-old fell and released his grip, prompting Mr Quinlivan to pick up a chair and smash him in the face with it. He then flung the chair across the restaurant and into a wall.
Another man, 49, who came in off the street to try to break up the melee, suffered a six centimetre gash on his elbow from a glass.
By this point, Mr Quinlivan was yelling "I'll kill you" and threatening "anybody and everybody", Mr Barnett said.
He finally stopped his rampage and left the restaurant when a teenager threw a bottle at his head, which left him bleeding from an 8cm gash.
But he wasn't done, when the police arrived he threw a t-shirt soaked in his blood into the face of a female police officer and kicked another officer in the shin.
Mrs Quinlivan was arrested at the nearby Iron Horse Inn, a spot Mr Barnett commented would usually be more likely to see the type of unruly brawl that unfolded at the popular seafood restaurant.
