Woman jailed for fracturing love rival's skull with a golf club
A jealous woman's violent attack with a golf club left her victim with a fractured skull and came on top of an attempt to fabricate her own family’s pleas for her freedom.
A woman who hit her victim in the head with a golf club in a fight over “her man”, also forged a letter from her family in an ill-fated attempt to get bail on other offences.
Shenoa Elizabeth Abbey, 47, first landed in custody as a result of the violent attack on January 7, 2025, the Gympie District Court heard Thursday.
She had been in a relationship with a man, who had become friends with her victim, and on the day in question she saw the two together.
The court heard Abbey was encouraged by another person with her to confront the woman, which she did while carrying a golf club.
Her victim grabbed a perfume bottle to defend herself.
Abbey yelled at her “stay away from my man you c--t” at which point her victim sprayed the perfume in her face, to little effect, the court was told.
She then said “I’m going to kill you” and struck the woman in the head with the club, knocking her out.
The court heard she then stood over the woman “smirking” before leaving the scene.
Her victim suffered a 4cm cut to her head that needed stitches, as well as a fractured skull and concussion.
Police were forced to restrain a “difficult” Abbey during her arrest on January 11.
The court heard Abbey had two years earlier sought bail at the Brisbane Supreme Court using a fraudulent document.
She told the court on September 13, 2023, she had received a letter from her family saying they wished the then 45-year-old would return home.
The hearing was adjourned and on September 25, 2023, Abbey prepared a submission to the Supreme Court including a handwritten letter purporting to be from them making the claims and apparently bearing their signatures.
Investigations revealed she had never spoken with those family members and they had no knowledge of the letter.
She again tried to pervert the course of justice in her instructions to one of her lawyers about her communications with her family.
Crown prosecutor Alex Stark said Abbey had a nine page criminal history that included assault occasioning bodily harm in 2014, for which she was given an 18 month jail term, suspended for two years.
Her lawyer said Abbey was being treated for anxiety and depression, and her mental health included diagnoses of bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
She had been exposed to drugs as a teenager.
Abbey appeared by video link from custody and pleaded guilty to two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice, assault occasioning bodily harm while armed, obstructing police, possessing marijuana, possessing a bong and cones used in connection with smoking dangerous drugs, possessing and failing to take precautions with two syringes, and breaching bail.
She was sentenced to three years’ jail, with immediate parole eligibility owing to 249 days already served in pre-sentence custody.
