Woman throws punches, rips victim’s shirt in bottle-o fight

“It created a very embarrassing scene for the victim in addition to the injuries she sustained.”

Raynna Lee Preston pleaded guilty in Maryborough Magistrates Court to one count of assaults occasioning bodily harm.

A dispute between two women at a Maryborough bottle shop escalated into a shocking act of violence that left the victim in need of medical attention.

Raynna Lee Preston, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm when she appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

The court heard the two women "exchanged words" before the victim told Preston she wished she could break her glasses.

Preston then took her glasses off and, as the other woman turned to walk away, she grabbed her by the hair and started punching her.

The other woman fell to the ground.

As she tried to fend off the attack, Preston again grabbed her by the hair and delivered a "flurry of punches".

The court heard the victim's top was ripped in the attack and in total she was struck between 10 to 12 times.

As a result she was taken to hospital in an ambulance.

Defence lawyer Morgan Harris said the assault had been the "pinnacle of a dispute between two parties".

He said the offending was "out of character" for Preston.

Mr Harris said she had full time work as a concreter and was struggling with an addiction to cocaine which had worked to address.

She had previously been in an abusive relationship that had left her with mental health struggles, Mr Harris said.

Preston was sentenced to 12 months' probation and ordered to pay $500 in compensation.

Acting Magistrate John Milburn said the extent of the violence, and the fact that it was a prolonged attack, was concerning.

"It created a very embarrassing scene for the victim in addition to the injuries she sustained," he said.

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