Hornsby Court: Pennant Hills mother convicted of assault after slapping daughter

A primary school child was slapped repeatedly across her face after she slept in on a school day because she was feeling ill, a court heard.

A primary school child who missed her 6:30am wake up time because she was feeling ill was slapped repeatedly across the face by her mum who then threatened “if you’re late to school, I’ll beat you up,” a court heard.

A Pennant Hills woman, aged in her forties, fronted Hornsby Local Court after pleading guilty to common assault.

The court heard how what should have been a normal school day descended into violence after the child slept in.

The child, who would normally wake up about 6:30am, overslept because “she was feeling slightly ill,” the court heard.

Documents tendered to court lay out how the situation quickly escalated — from stern words to slaps across the child’s face.

The mother was sentenced today at Hornsby Local Court. Picture: Matthew Vasilescu.

About 7:30am, the mother told her child, “wake up, or I’m not sending you to school for a week and I will turn off the internet,” police facts state.

She then raised her voice and asked the child to get out of her bed seven times.

According to court documents, the mother normally braids the daughter’s hair in the bathroom before sending her off to school.

“(But on that day the child) ignored her mother’s request and went to the bathroom, at which time the (mother) grabbed (her daughter’s) arm and pulled it behind her back,” court documents state.

“The mother, using her left open hand, slapped the victim three times on the right side of her face, causing immediate pain.

A short time later the mother told her daughter, “if you’re late to school, I’ll beat you up.” And the primary school-aged kid replied: “You’re a maniac”, the court heard.

The assault was reported to the police. Picture: Generic.

At school, the child reported the incident to the school counsellor and the police were soon informed.

Later in the evening, police attended their home and questioned the mother who made full admissions, stating: “Yes, that did happen”, police facts state.

In court, the mother’s lawyer said his client was a person of good character who volunteered at a local school and for the Red Cross.

“She is a loving mother … (and) she’s obviously traumatised by the whole situation,” the lawyer said. “It was an attempt to discipline her daughter and now she releases in hindsight she crossed the line.”

But Magistrate Rami Attia said he could not let the mother leave the courtroom without receiving a conviction because it was a matter of domestic violence against a young child, involving not only hitting the kid but also threatening further violence.

“It was a snap — a one-off — I get that,” Mr Attia said. “(But this) involved violence notwithstanding the threats of further violence as well.”

Supported by her father, the mother cried in the courtroom as she was convicted of common assault and placed on a 12-month community corrections order.