Hannah Duke: Dapto teen pleads guilty to Illawarra nightclub assault
A woman was left with multiple injuries after an Instagram mutual’s violent assault in a popular Illawarra nightclub. Read about what unfolded.
Illawarra Star
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A teenage Dapto woman who stood over her victim in a popular Illawarra nightclub earlier this year has pleaded guilty to the assault.
Hannah Duke, 19, fronted Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday where her lawyer Paul Paine entered her plea of guilty to assault occasioning grievous bodily harm.
The shocking incident unfolded at Mr Crown in the Wollongong CBD on Saturday, April 23, one week prior to Duke’s 19th birthday.
Shortly after midnight, Duke, wearing a green skirt and black top, confronted the female victim who was sitting on a lounge in the upstairs area of Mr Crown.
Duke, who has mutual friends on Instagram with the victim, said “Are you [victim’s name]?”.
“Yeah, why?” the victim responded before Duke grabbed her hand and ushered her downstairs.
Duke started verbally abusing the woman before punching her in the head, causing her to collapse to the ground.
Duke continued hurling abuse at the victim as she lay prone on the floor before kicking her in the head and slapping her in the face.
“Don’t ever f****** talk to Shane again,” Duke screamed before walking out of the venue.
The vicious and unprovoked assault left the victim with a multitude of injuries including a black eye, scratches on her forehead and right arm, a cut on her upper lip and a bruised hip.
The victim’s friend assisted her off the ground and escorted her to the bathroom where an onlooker informed them she’d recorded the incident on her phone and would forward it on.
The victim and her friend walked out of Mr Crown and spoke to the manager who was standing outside before being approached by police during their routine patrols of the city CBD.
They were able to point out Duke who was on her phone down the road with police approaching her and placing her under arrest.
Duke admitted to attacking the victim, but refused to offer any further details.
She was taken to Wollongong Command where, at 2.19am she messaged the victim on Instagram “”idk why your tryna message shane. Seriously ? haha?”.
The victim captured a screenshot of the message and passed it on to police – the message has not been deleted by Duke.
Duke will be sentenced in Wollongong Local Court on August 16.
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