Lindy Pickalla: Narooma mum sentenced after ‘violent and ugly’ revenge mob

A south coast woman has been sentenced after she was a part of a mob which was created to get revenge on two young attackers who assaulted her son on a camping trip.

A mother seeking to avenge her son who was assaulted while camping has been sentenced after she was part of an “extremely violent” mob to try and harm those who hurt her child.

The mob mayhem saw Lindy Pickalla, 38, wind up in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday to be sentenced for affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The Narooma woman had previously pleaded guilty to both charges.

Police documents tendered in court reveal how the armed mob came to be.

In late 2022, Pickalla’s 20-year-old son was camping alone at Mystery Bay, south of Moruya, when he was attacked by a 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old woman.

The court heard the attack left the young man unconscious and in the Bega Hospital for days.

Fuming after learning her son had been assaulted, Pickalla, who knew the attackers resided with their grandfather at a Kianga address and - along with a group of her friends - decided to get her revenge and on the evening of January 1, joining a large armed mob to the home.

“The victims and their grandfather heard shouting coming from outside their home,” the documents state.

“They looked outside and saw a large group of people shouting and walking toward the house. They could hear bottles smashing and the group screaming ‘come out you dogs, come out motherf*****s.”

Members of the group were armed with planks of wood, broken bottles, branches, crowbars, tyre irons, spanners, bamboo bats, knives and aluminium bats, according to court documents.

After no one came outside, someone shouted “get the cars” before some in the group began smashing the windscreens of cars in the driveway.

Eventually, the 24-year-old victim moved into the garage, arming himself with a chainsaw to frighten the mob off.

However, this did not work, as some in the group began to throw glass bottles at him.

The court heard Pickalla had been standing back from the mayhem, watching others do all the work, until her mother, who was also part of the mob, was put in harm's way.

The 22-year-old woman ran at Pickalla’s mother, the documents state, leading the offender to tackle them to the ground before hitting her on the head.

The documents reveal the mob’s “chaotic” attack ended when someone in the group shouted “the cops are almost here” and the grandfather pleaded with them to leave the property.

“The group ran away as police and ambulances arrived at the scene,” the documents state.

In court on Monday, the police prosecutor informed Magistrate Doug Dick police officers were still working to identify all members of the mob.

Pickalla’s lawyer, Lisa Stone, said while the mob was serious, her client was the least violent person involved.

“This was obviously a serious and violent incident, but Ms Pickalla’s part in this event does not cross the (Section 5) threshold,” she said.

However, Mr Dick said when sentencing, he had to consider the violence of the mob.

“Even when the mob turned violent and ugly, you stayed and didn’t tell them to stop,” he said.

“Property was damaged, people were assaulted. I get you were trying to protect your mother, but she was also an active member of the group.”

Mr Dick convicted Pickalla on both charges, sentencing her to a two-year community correction order and fined her $1000.

Court documents state investigations into the other mob members and their involvement are ongoing.