A YOUNG mother has told a court the scar she bears under her eye will always be a reminder of the night a drunk woman bashed her in Lydiard Street.
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The woman received the cut on a night out on April 3 when she was punched in the face by Ballarat woman Sharna Cooke, who pleaded guilty to the offence at the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sam Young told the court Cooke became enraged on the night when her friend was denied entry to a Lydiard Street venue because he did not have a collar on his shirt.
The court heard the accused became more enraged when she saw the victim and her partner, who was wearing a shirt that appeared to have no collar, walk from the venue.
The victim spoke to the accused, telling Cooke her husband’s shirt did have a collar.
Believing the victim was name-calling, Cooke punched the young woman to the cheek before getting on top of the victim and continually punching her to the head.
In her victim impact statement, the woman said she was scared to take her children out in public in fear she would run into the accused again.
“I feel I won’t be safe in public no matter who is with me,” the statement read.
“I will bear a permanent reminder of the experience.”
The accused’s lawyer, Andrew Madden, said his client – who was on bail for unrelated matters at the time – had been drunk, which clouded her judgement on the night.
He said she had no prior history for violence and had since taken steps to ensure she would not act like this again.
Urging the magistrate not to impose a term of imprisonment, Mr Madden said Cooke understood her actions were unacceptable.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose told Cooke being female did not excuse her from any risk of imprisonment.
“It is totally unacceptable behaviour,” she said.
“We usually hear of men being involved in this sort of behaviour … but the penalties apply equally to both men and woman.
“You came very close to being imprisoned.”
Cooke was convicted and placed on a 12-month community corrections orders with a condition to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work.
“This is an opportunity you’ve been given, I hope you embrace it.”