Tiffani Skye Teasdale in Maroochydore court for assaulting law student

A Sunshine Coast law student was about to leave a popular Maroochydore pub when someone grabbed her hair and her head was snapped backwards. Read what happened next.

A youth justice worker has faced court after she pulled a law student to the ground by her hair in an “unprovoked” Ocean St attack.

Tiffani Skye Teasdale, 24, was given nine months’ probation and 40 hours’ community service in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 28, 2022.

The court heard Teasdale was “adversely affected” at Duporth Tavern in Maroochydore on October 16, 2021, when the incident occured.

In a victim impact statement read aloud to the court, the victim law student said she was getting ready to leave the pub just after midnight.

“I felt someone snap my head back and drag me to the floor by my hair leaving me with a sprained neck due to the whiplash,” the law student said in her statement.

The victim said she felt completely stunned and shocked.

Tiffani Skye Teasdale, 24, was given nine months’ probation and 40 hours’ community service in Maroochydore Magistrates Court.

“This offence has changed my perception of personal safety as this random attack has left me feeling fearful, anxious and unknowing as to what people will do,” she said.

“It’s difficult to be social now, since the attack I no longer feel like meeting up with my friends in public.”

Police prosecutor Lee Allan said Teasdale admitted to police that she pulled a girl’s hair and said it was a “stupid” thing to do.

Senior Constable Allan said the victim suffered an injury to her neck and carpet burn on her ankle.

He said Teasdale had no criminal or traffic history but told the court Duporth Tavern had put in an application for a court banning order.

Defence solicitor Ben Rynderman said his client reacted poorly to a disagreement about a phone or a phone charger.

“It can be very safely concluded that is is entirely out of character,” Mr Ryderman said.

Tiffani Skye Teasdale, 24, was given nine months’ probation and 40 hours’ community service in Maroochydore Magistrates Court.

“My client was suffering with stressors associated with chronic anxiety.”

Mr Ryderman said the incident has had a “profound” impact on Teasdale and there was no subsequent offending.

He said Teasdale had a background in the field of youth justice and was currently on placement.

Mr Rynderman asked that a conviction not be recorded due to Teasdale’s reliance upon a blue card for her work and to be able to live in the same house as her twin brothers.

Teasdale pleaded guilty to one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said the victim had suffered mental and physical impacts from the incident that he said could be described as “gratuitous” and “unprovoked”.

“It would be accurate to say that you never knew this person,” Mr Stjernqvist said.

Mr Stjernqvist did not record a conviction against Teasdale and did not impose a court banning order.