A 24-year-old woman who joined an assault on a 17-year-old at a Creswick park has avoided a conviction.
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The accused, who The Courier has chosen not to name as they avoided a conviction, pleaded guilty to several charges at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Monday.
In October last year, the woman drove with several co-accused to St Georges Lake in Creswick, before picking up the victim, who was 17 at the time.
After driving into town and back, the co-accused parked at a picnic area, when two more co-accused jumped out of bushes, opened the doors, and repeatedly punched the victim in the head.
She was dragged out of the vehicle by her hair, and the co-accused began repeatedly kicking her.
The accused then joined in, before the four adults stole the victim's phone and drove away, leaving her in the dirt.
The court was told the accused did not know the victim, and only knew one of the co-accused.
Her defence lawyer noted as well as a diagnosis of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, there were no criminal priors and nothing pending, and a community corrections order could be within range.
Magistrate Mark Stratmann noted the woman's parents were both in court with her.
He asked her what her dreams and ambitions were for the future, and she replied she had been looking at aged care courses.
"Someone could have been very, very seriously injured," he said.
"It's extremely serious, I don't know how in the lord's name you got involved but you did, you struck this person and they were injured by it.
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"You've got two parents here with you ... their presence today has had a very significant impact on me.
"I want you to make something of your life, that doesn't mean this is not serious, and I'm not for one minute thinking this lass is not for some years, or longer, going to think about what happened that day.
"I want you to reflect on that, it's not unsubstantial."
Without conviction, he ordered the woman "put something back into the community you damaged by your behaviour" - she must complete 60 hours of community work in the next 12 months.
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