A young woman who hurled abuse and threw cans of soft drink at staff at an Adelaide KFC restaurant during a bizarre drunken tirade has avoided jail.

Key points: Jarrah Ladner threw cans, EFTPOS machines and abuse at Adelaide KFC staff in May

Jarrah Ladner threw cans, EFTPOS machines and abuse at Adelaide KFC staff in May She has been given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to several offences

She has been given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to several offences She says she has stopped drinking after severe embarrassment suffered

Jarrah Isis Rose Ladner, 20, pleaded guilty in the Adelaide Magistrates Court to seven charges over the outburst — including aggravated assault, disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.

The court heard she became agitated while trying to pay for an order of chicken wings at the KFC on Hindley Street at about 9:30pm on May 11 this year.

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KFC staff said Ladner appeared drunk and started fumbling on her mobile phone before calling the cashier a "c***" several times and spitting on her.

In a video of the outburst which went viral on social media, she can be seen throwing EFTPOS machines behind the counter, one of which smashed a television screen.

She also threw a 24-can slab of soft drink over the counter and cans at staff members.

Ladner was restrained on the ground until police arrived.

The prosecution told the court Ladner was extremely aggressive towards officers and spat on one of them as she was put into the back of a paddy wagon.

They said that at one point she managed to get out of her handcuffs and tried to run away.

Incident has helped Ladner turn her life around

Defence lawyer Michael Woods said it was clearly not his client's "finest moment in life" and that she accepted it was appalling behaviour.

He described the incident as a "blessing in disguise" because it had prompted Ladner to seek help for her alcohol addiction and borderline personality disorder.

"She has stopped drinking and hasn't touched alcohol since, with her underlying mental illness … that's one of the catalysts or triggers that brings out the 'Bad Jarrah' as one might put it," he said.

In a post on Facebook the day after the outburst, Ladner wrote: "It was time for me to get my life in check, stop drinking, I can't go on like this anymore.

"Alcohol is a drug and it's time for me to make a change and go back to the gentle girl who was once me.

"Life hasn't been easy one, we all make mistakes.

"Now is my opportunity to turn it around and make it the best life and best me I can."

KFC chicken pieces similar to those Ladner was after. ( Flickr: James: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 )

Mr Woods said his client had apologised to police and the KFC employees.

"It was an extremely genuine apology for her behaviour," he said.

"She's had a difficult upbringing, she's had a difficult life but she's committed to being a better person."

He said Ladner had been abused on social media by members of the public and had suffered significant embarrassment.

"She felt the wrath of many, many people which she read [on social media] and it was an eye-opener for her," he said.

Sentence suspended but civil damages outstanding

Magistrate Brett Dixon imposed a jail sentence of two months and 24 days but agreed to suspend it given her commitment to rehabilitation.

"The incident at KFC cannot be excused because of your drinking problem, however, that does give some explanation to the reason why you acted the way that you did," he said.

"Although that is of little comfort to the victims of your offences, it is something that the court can keep in mind when one looks at what you have done since."

The court heard KFC was seeking more than $5,000 in damages but that a final amount had not been provided so no order was formally made.

Ladner was placed on a $500 bond to be of good behaviour for 18 months.