Dubbo brawl: Josh, Hayley Dennis spared convictions for affray

Two siblings attacked a woman during a brawl on her front lawn which also saw a car door slammed into a grandmother’s head.

A juvenile justice officer and her brother have been spared convictions for their involvement in a brawl which started after he called a woman a “gronk” at a Dubbo pub.

Hayley, 24, and Josh Dennis, 22, pleaded guilty to affray charges police laid after the brawl on October 27, 2019.

Hayley Dennis received no conviction for her involvement in the brawl. Picture: Facebook

According to court documents, 26-year-old Taylor Peachey was the woman targeted in the brawl and she had been known to the Dennis family for several years.

In the lead up to the brawl, Ms Peachey was in the downstairs beer garden at the Amaroo Hotel when Josh and her started arguing after he approached her at a table.

Court documents state after Josh called Ms Peachey a “gronk” and walked away, she made a Facebook post which said “Josh Dennis, ya gronk, I’ll pump ya just like ya sister Hayley”.

Josh read the post and in a series of messages he and Ms Peachey exchanged, she invited him around to the Gasnier Place home she was staying at with her grandparents.

About 3.30am Josh, Hayley and a group of about eight women turned up at Ms Peachey’s home.

The Dennis siblings and Ms Peachey ended up fighting out on the front lawn while the other women yelled out “slut”, “we will bash you” and “you deserve it”.

Court documents state Josh and Hayley pushed Ms Peachey to the ground and he climbed on top of her, took hold of her hair with one hand and held her head against the ground.

Dubbo man Josh Dennis received no conviction for affray after pleading guilty to his involvement in a brawl. Picture: Facebook

When Ms Peachey’s 63-year-old grandmother Susan Peachey tried to pull her off the ground, an unknown woman grabbed the grandmother’s nightie and dragged her away.

The woman pulled the older woman by the hair towards the road and positioned her head between the open door of a car and the car frame.

The car door was slammed into the left side of Susan’s head while another unknown woman kicked her in the chest.

While that was happening Hayley and the remaining group of women continued to lay into Ms Peachey by kicking and punching her.

Her 72-year-old grandfather Anthony Peachey came out of the house when he saw both women being attacked. He grabbed Josh and the pair ended up on the ground wrestling and punching each other.

After a short time Josh, Hayley and the group of women walked back to their cars and left the house.

A brick was then thrown through the front window of the Peachey family’s home.

After the brawl ended Taylor, Susan and Anthony Peachey had to be transferred to Dubbo Base Hospital for treatment. None were charged or accused of any wrongdoing.

According to court documents, police responded to an incident at Josh’s home two hours later.

The Dennis siblings were sentenced at the District Court in Dubbo for their involvement in the brawl.

Hayley gave evidence before the sentencing and told the court she had served in the community as a volunteer at Apollo House and a juvenile justice officer.

“It was obviously unacceptable behaviour … it was the wrong thing to do,” she said.

Dubbo District Court Judge Dina Yehia sentenced Hayley and Josh Dennis. Picture: Jedd Manning

Judge Dina Yehia said the actions of the Dennis siblings were “out of character”.

“There is a real risk that a conviction will result in termination of her employment,” Judge Yehia said of Hayley’s situation after the court heard she was stood down from her role after the affray charge was laid.

“I accept she’s genuinely remorseful and her conduct is far from the positive example she wants to set for young people in her community.”

The Dennis siblings had no criminal record and had displayed a degree of immaturity in the way they handled the conflict with Taylor Peachey, Judge Yehia said.

“I am satisfied in each case that they have excellent prospects of rehabilitation and are unlikely to offend,” she said.

The court heard Judge Yehia had to consider how the Dennis’s co-offenders had been dealt with in court when sentencing the siblings.

Two other women were charged over their involvement in the brawl.

The court heard Suevanah Brown, 23, and Courtney Vizintin, 23, had pleaded guilty to affray offences, however Judge Yehia said the charges against Ms Brown and Ms Vizintin were dismissed by a magistrate under Section 10 of the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act.

Extra-curial punishments the Dennis siblings had received also had to be taken into account, the court heard.

Hayley and Josh Dennis faced court together. Pictures: Facebook

Hayley had suffered by losing her job and Judge Yehia said Josh had a serious injury to his hands after two men attacked him in the hours after the brawl.

“Both men were charged with criminal offences,” she said.

“This was clearly retaliation for the earlier incident.”

The court heard Taylor Peachey’s brother Angus Peachey had pleaded guilty to affray and property damage charges. He was sentenced to a conditional release order and received no conviction.

Taylor Peachey’s stepfather Chris Briggs received a conviction for affray and he was sentenced to a community corrections order, the court heard.

Judge Yehia sentenced Hayley and Josh to conditional release orders for 18 months, with no convictions recorded.