Woman fined for shushing mobile caller

An Australian woman charged with assault after trying to shush an American movie goer who was on a mobile phone has been fined $176.

Pauline Clayton was in Texas on holidays when she decided to catch Australian actor Heath Ledger's movie Brokeback Mountain last week.

Halfway through the picture, a woman film patron took a mobile phone call, and began talking.

Annoyed by the disruption, Ms Clayton, a former Sunshine Coast councillor, put her finger to her mouth, signalling to the woman to shush, then touched her on the shoulder twice.

The other woman then stood up and started shouting expletives at Ms Clayton before storming out of the cinema.

Police arrived and escorted Ms Clayton out of the theatre.

The maligned woman told officers Ms Clayton had been "invading her private space" and accused the Australian of assault.

Police subsequently arrested Ms Clayton and charged her with assault.

Ms Clayton was fined $176, the Seven Network reported today.

Seven showed vision of a smiling Ms Clayton leaving what appeared to be a court building but it was unclear whether she had paid the fine.

"If I don't have a traffic violation or touch anyone again in 90 days, there's no conviction," she said.