Countdown accused denies charges (update) | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

A Rotorua woman, charged after a scuffle with Countdown Rotorua staff, which was caught on video and went viral on YouTube, has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Cherylly Juanita Campbell, aka Tapsell, 30, fruit picker, appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday and pleaded not guilty to two charges of assault with a weapon - a handbag - and a charge of common assault.

The alleged offending was committed at Countdown Rotorua on Fenton St on January 4. A Rotorua man filmed the incident and uploaded the clip on to video sharing website YouTube and social networking site Facebook.

She pleaded guilty to receiving a backpack which was stolen from a van in the car park of the Countdown supermarket in Gisborne on November 8 last year.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Roger Schreuder said that on November 8 last year, Campbell was in a car in the car park of the Countdown supermarket in Gisborne.

Campbell's associate told Campbell to stay in the car and he went to a van and removed a backpack belonging to a foreigner. He went back to the car and they drove off. Campbell went through the backpack and emptied the contents of it and decided to keep the bag. Mr Schreuder said the value of the backpack was less than $500.

Judge Lindsay Moore remanded Campbell in custody to appear at a status hearing on February 14 - the same day her mother, who is also charged in relation to the scuffle at Countdown, is due to appear.