A BALLARAT woman has narrowly avoided jail time after she glassed another woman at a party.
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Naomi Mahar, 36, appeared at Horsham Magistrates' Court last month. She pleaded guilty to assault and recklessly causing injury.
The victim, Horsham's Elizabeth Loveday, 20, said she was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after the incident at her sister's birthday party at Murtoa in May.
Ms Loveday read her victim impact statement to the court. She said she and Mahar met the night of the incident through a mutual friend, Megan Jones.
"During the night I was speaking with Naomi and we were getting along really well," Ms Loveday said.
"About 11.30pm I saw Naomi arguing with Megan. I couldn't hear what it was about but it was something about their business as they work together.
"I noticed that my sister was getting upset so I told them to leave the business talk and have a fun night.
"I was walking away when Naomi hit me in the head with a full glass bottle of beer."
The bottle hit Ms Loveday on the right side of her head, near her temple. She fell to the ground.
"As I got back up, Naomi took the broken bottle and slashed me on the left side of my face with it. That made me fall to the ground again," she said.
Ms Loveday told the court that she had a panic attack after the incident.
She was taken to Wimmera Base Hospital in Horsham.
Police were contacted and took Ms Loveday's initial statement at the hospital. They then went to the Murtoa address and arrested Mahar.
Ms Loveday received five stitches to her right eyebrow. Her eye was flushed to remove glass shards.
She said the injury had impacted an existing eye condition, causing severe migraines and blurred vision. Her scars will be permanent.
The court heard Mahar had consumed five beers across six hours leading into the incident.
Magistrate Andrew McKenna said he didn't think Mahar "fully understood" the seriousness of the offence.
"You are in a hair's breadth of going to prison," he warned her.
"The fact that you are a mother of four and have never been in trouble before would not save you. It is quite incomprehensible how this happened and I'm not 100 per cent certain that there is remorse."
Mr McKenna said he considered the spontaneity of the incident, the extent of the victim's injuries and interference with the victim's life before determining his sentence.
Mahar was sentenced to a community corrections order for 15 months with 250 hours of unpaid work.
Ms Loveday told the Australian Community Media she wished the sentence had been more severe.
"I would have liked her to have gone to jail. This incident has changed my whole life," Ms Loveday said.
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