Cohen Tasker from Nambucca Heads in Macksville court for assaulting woman after a party

A builder drove up to a woman walking on the street late at night and attacked her, punching her to the ground in a twisted attempt to defend his girlfriend’s honour yelling “don’t talk to women like that again”.

Macksville courthouse.

A Nambucca Heads builder drove up to a woman walking on the street and attacked her, punching her to the ground in a twisted attempt to defend his girlfriend’s honour yelling “don’t talk to women like that again”.

Cohen Tasker appeared in Macksville Local Court on Thursday to be sentenced for the attack which his lawyer said was “not violence for the sake of violence” and that Tasker believed he was “defending the honour” of his partner at the time.

The 27-year-old had denied attacking the woman after a party in the coastal town on the night of September 23, 2023.

But just prior to a hearing on November last year, he pleaded guilty to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm with a number of other charges dropped.

Tasker’s lawyer said the guilty plea meant the victim had been spared from giving “traumatic evidence” and he urged magistrate Teresa Hamilton to take that into account when delivering her sentence.

Cohen Tasker leaves Macksville court on Thursday, February 27, 2025

His lawyer also told the court that Tasker was a 28-year-old Indigenous man who had completed a carpentry apprenticeship and went on to become a builder and now operates his own local company employing three people.

According to court documents, Tasker and his victim weren’t known to each other prior to the assault but they had been at a party, drinking alcohol with mutual friends, when an argument broke out over a conversation and the victim was asked to leave.

Some time between 11pm on September 23, 2023 and 1am the next morning the victim was walking along Bellwood Dr when Tasker approached in his silver BMW sedan and pulled up next to her.

He got out of his car and approached her, pushing and punching her in the head. She fell to the ground and lay with her hands up in an attempt to defend herself, according to police facts.

She sustained grazes to her back and left arm, and bumps and bruises to her head.

A witness tried to break it up, yelling “Cohen don’t do anything”.

According to the same witness statement Tasker was heard shouting “don’t ever talk to women like that again”.

The Nambucca Heads police station.

A short time later, the victim’s sister arrived in her car and picked the woman up and they drove off.

They went to the Nambucca Heads police station the next day and made a statement.

During sentencing Ms Hamilton said the attack didn’t happen “on the spot” and that there was some “degree of intentionality” to it.

She noted a sentencing assessment report which indicated Tasker “doesn’t show much insight” and seemed to think his actions were justified to defend his partner at the time.

It was also noted he had two prior high range drink driving convictions on his record, and that he’s currently serving a two-year community corrections order and completing 120 hours of community service for the latest offence.

According to court documents, this second offence was dealt with in the Coffs Harbour Local Court on April 2 last year where he was ordered to serve a two-year community corrections order from that date through to April 1, 2026.

On Thursday, Tasker was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order and to complete 80 hours of community service.

Ms Hamilton said it was fortunate Tasker had no prior convictions for violence on his record as a harsher penalty could have been on the cards.

Originally published as Cohen Tasker from Nambucca Heads in Macksville court for assaulting woman after a party