Chelsea Hall avoids jail after biting woman’s face at Northies

A magistrate said a woman who bit another woman on the face at a Sydney pub was the “architect of her own doom” before she committed the “animalistic” attack last year. Chelsea Hall, 28, pleaded guilty after the assault which left a “horrendous” wound.

• Glam theft auto: grid girl’s robbery charges
• Cheerleader’s overseas jaunt after fraud charge

A magistrate said a woman who bit another woman on the face at a Sydney pub was the “architect of her own doom” before she committed the “animalistic” attack last year.

Chelsea Hall, 28, pleaded guilty at Sutherland Local Court to assault causing actual bodily harm after she savagely bit the woman’s cheek as a dance floor grievance at Northies in Cronulla devolved into pushing and hair pulling on September 29 last year.

Magistrate Peter Bugden described the victim’s 3cm laceration as a “horrendous wound” as he sentenced Hall to an eight-month jail sentence to be served in the community.

Hall arrives at Sutherland Local Court for sentencing. Picture: John Grainger

“This court doesn’t see assaults by way of biting very often,” Mr Bugden told the court.

“In the 1950s a very regular series of people came before the court for biting – thugs used to bite other thugs on the ear – but it has died out.”

Hall’s Legal Aid solicitor Nicholas Breen told the court the Woonona woman had felt “bullied” before she pushed the victim on the Old Joe’s dance floor and made her stumble back.

“Admittedly this is a matter where her judgment was clouded by the amount of alcohol she had,” Mr Breen told the court.

Hall told police she had been grabbed by the throat prior to the assault. Picture: John Grainger

Hall told police at the time the victim had grabbed her by the throat and she thought she was going to die when she bit the woman.

“Miss Hall has small stature,” Mr Breen told the court.

“She was overpowered by the victim, she felt threatened, and she made a very poor choice to assault the victim.”

Hall at Northies on the night of the attack.

Hall’s hair extensions were also ripped out of her head during the violent melee, taking some of her own hair with them.

“Can I assume Your Honour knows what hair extensions are?” Mr Breen asked Mr Bugden.

“I’m a dinosaur, but I know what they are,” Mr Bugden responded dryly as muffled laughter broke out in the courtroom.

“I did need to have it explained to me, but the hair the extensions were attached to with the clips was ripped out,” Mr Breen said.

Hall has lost her casual employment since the incident.

The court also heard Hall had lost her casual employment after her case was widely publicised in Sydney media.

“I know your name has been plastered over the media and that you’ve had a difficult time in the last few years,” Mr Bugden told Hall.

“I took this into account but I can’t give it much weight – this is a very serious assault.”

Hall was sentenced to an eight-month intensive corrections order.

Mr Bugden said there was no other way to deal with the matter except with a jail sentence and a conviction.

Hall had no criminal record prior to the incident.