A 56-year-old woman who organised the bashing of a teenager for making a rape complaint has escaped immediate jail because her offending was "amateurish".
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Debra Yvonne Warren was sentenced to a community corrections order at the County Court in Ballarat on Friday.
In November, a Ballarat jury found Warren guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice for organising the bashing of a teenager who was raped by Warren's partner, Wayne Jeffrey Smith, in a Dereel paddock on May 6, 2017.
After Smith had been charged with raping the girl, he and Warren organised to pay two teenage girls $50 each to bash the rape victim in Ballarat.
The pair requested the teenagers film the bashing to confirm it was carried out.
But the two girls did not go ahead with 'the fake bashing', although Warren and Smith believed they had and paid them the $50 each.
Smith and Warren later found out the rape victim was not bashed.
In sentencing on Friday, Judge Paul Lacava said he would have accepted the prosecution's submission of immediate jail but Warren's offending was amateurish and likely occurred under the influence of Smith.
"I am satisfied Wayne Smith was a controlling influence and you acted because you did over fear," Judge Lacava said.
He said Warren did not have a criminal history and had led an unblemished life.
Warren was convicted and sentenced to a two-year CCO which includes 150 hours of unpaid community work, supervision and programs and treatment for mental health and reoffending.
She was ordered to provide a sample of her DNA to police.
In November, a jury found Smith guilty of rape, making a threat to kill and attempting to pervert the course of justice.
He is awaiting a plea hearing and sentence.
