Hayley Desnica, Justyn Desnica in court over Coogee Bay Hotel brawl
It all started when her brother began ‘slowly dancing’ towards a mystery woman. It ended with the birthday girl throwing a woman to the ground by her hair and a policeman nursing a broken nose.
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A young woman has escaped conviction for her role in a shocking pub brawl in Sydney’s eastern suburbs that ended with her brother allegedly breaking a police officer’s nose.
Hayley Rita Carmen Desnica claimed she was just “sticking up” for herself in the fight that marred her own birthday celebrations at the Coogee Bay Hotel on August 24.
The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to common assault on Thursday after an affray charge was withdraw at Waverley Local Court.
A hospitality worker from Clontarf in Queensland, she was handed a 12 month community release order without conviction.
Police allege in court documents her older brother Justyn Joshua Desnica sparked the fight in the pub’s smoking area at about 9pm, which allegedly followed an argument between two groups.
The Matraville man has entered pleas of not guilty to charges including affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault police.
He has pleaded guilty to drug possession after arresting police found 0.7g of cocaine on him.
The 31-year-old began “slowly dancing” toward an unnamed woman in the room, resulting in a “verbal altercation” breaking out, police allege.
During that time his sister began arguing with the woman before her brother and friend Bryce Lockett allegedly began aiming a “series of punches” at men in the other group.
Police facts state Hayley Desnica then threw the woman to the ground using the victim’s hair as leverage.
The incident was captured on the pub’s CCTV.
In a police interview Ms Desnica admitted to having “ample time” to walk away from the scene but claimed she was “sticking up” for herself throughout.
Police allege her brother broke the nose of a 21-year-old plain clothes police officer who had tried to intervene as the fight spilled out onto the street.
Lockett, who was found guilty of affray in November, suffered a broken collar bone in the incident and was taken from the scene in an ambulance.
Justyn Desnica also appeared in court on Thursday where his matter was adjourned to the Downing Centre on December 18.