Nikki Tupou sentenced for glassing woman at a funeral wake in Newcastle
Victorian woman Nikki Tupou pleaded guilty to reckless wounding after throwing a beer glass at Lacey Davison when the pair got into a heated argument at a funeral wake in Newcastle last year. Now, Ms Davison said she could finally move forward.
Newcastle
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A Hunter woman — who was violently smashed in the face with a schooner glass at a funeral wake in Newcastle last year — said no sentence would ever be able to compensate for what her attacker did to her, but she can now finally move forward.
Victorian woman Nikki Tupou, 28, pleaded guilty to reckless wounding after throwing a beer glass at Lacey Davison — striking her to the left side of the face — when the pair got into a heated argument.
In Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday, Ms Tupou was sentenced to a 15 month intensive corrections order and placed on home detention for that period.
In a statement, Ms Davison said she had permanent injuries and ongoing mental trauma after the attack.
“It’s the last thing I think of every night and the first thing I think of every morning,” she said.
“I don’t want to have any hate in my heart and I feel now that she has been sentenced I can start to move forward.”
Kerrie Thompson from Victims of Crime Assistance League said home detention would significantly restrict Ms Tupou.
“Wearing an ankle bracelet for the next 15 months would hopefully remind her of the seriousness of the assault,” she said.
Tupou and Davison — who knew each other through Tupou’s cousin — were both at the funeral and then the wake which continued into the early hours of the next morning when the group they were with, went to the Royal Inn Hotel at Waratah on August 31.
It was just after 9am the attack happened. One of the family members was attempting to leave when the pair starting arguing.
They both struck out at each other before Ms Tupou threw the schooner at Ms Davison and then left in a taxi.
The glass shattered on impact, causing a large laceration to Ms Davison’s face, which nearly caused her to lose her sight and saw a lengthy recovery in hospital.
Police facts stated Ms Tupou had never had any problems with Ms Davison in the past but admitted to throwing the glass after she was nearly punched.
According to the facts, she showed remorse for her actions and attributed them to intoxication and being emotional as result of the death in the family.
Tupou’s solicitor John Anthony said his client had now moved from Victoria to the Hunter with her son and was suitable for home detention.
Magistrate Stephen Olischlager told the court he was now satisfied to grant the home detention order and did so with an ICO and community corrections supervision.