Cindy Dean returned to the Ballarat Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday for sentencing after originally pleading guilty in October to the theft of the car, fail to answer bail and state a false name.

Magistrate Kay Robertson originally delayed sentencing in October to see whether the Ballarat mother was serious about changing her ways, but she was forced to further adjourn sentencing last month after a single count of affray had arisen from 2013.

On Tuesday the court heard the new matter related to an incident in the early hours of May 11, 2013 which involved another three co-accused who assaulted a number of people at a Barkly Street address.

Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Lisa Schoemaker said Dean arrived at the address with the co-accused where she grabbed one of the victims by the hair and punched her in the face.

Magistrate Robertson said while she accepted Dean played a lesser role in the assault, the offending appeared more serious than the other three charges from October.

Dean was jailed for one month, which was suspended for nine months for the affray.

As for the remaining three charges, Ms Robertson fined Dean $750 and made a compensation order of $15,000 for the hire car which was found almost a month after it was due to be returned to a Ballarat car hire business last year.

The car’s bumpers were missing, the roof appeared to have been jumped on, exterior panels were damaged and a number of interior parts were also missing when it was found in forest area at Invermay, the court previously heard.

Dean was also fined $1000 after contravening two community corrections orders.

Her lawyer, David Taminika, told the court Dean’s decision making and foresight has been marred by drug use and poor associates.

But he said Dean had genuinely changed and has since embarked on a journey to ensure the welfare of her new child could flourish.

Mr Taminika said his client was focusing her time on a new relationship and child, and had not come to police attention in the intermediate period. 

Ms Robertson agreed it appeared Dean had turned a corner. But she warned the woman she faced jail time if she re-offended during her suspended sentence.