Shepparton woman Amanda Towle sentenced in court for role in Bendigo gang bashing

A woman has faced the music for her role in the gang bashing of another woman in broad daylight that left the victim needing emergency surgery.

An Aboriginal woman has faced the music for her role in the gang bashing of another Aboriginal woman in broad daylight that left the victim needing emergency surgery.

Amanda Towle pleaded guilty at Bendigo Magistrates' Court to recklessly causing injury following an assault on a 46-year-old woman in Bendigo's CBD.

Amanda Towle, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to taking part in the brutal bashing of a 46-year-old woman outside of the Bendigo Library on December 6, 2022.

Towle’s co-accused in the matter is yet to enter a plea and will be dealt with separately.

Two others who were present for the assault, a man and a woman, were not able to be identified by police and remain “at large”, the court heard.

CCTV footage revealed the victim got into an argument with Towle and three others near the Bendigo library.

Towle, who was part of the group approached the victim and called her a “black c---”, the court heard.

In retaliation, the victim spat at Ms Towle, before walking away.

The entire group was alcohol affected, the court heard.

The victim was left with internal bleeding.

About 10 minutes later, a fight broke out in the carpark behind the nearby Australia Post.

CCTV footage depicts Towle punching the victim “several times” to the face

The unknown male and female then joined in and attacked the victim before Towle’s co-accused allegedly jumped in and punched the 46-year-old woman six times.

The gang then fled the scene into Hargreaves Mall and hid in Myer when they heard police sirens approaching.

The victim had to undergo emergency surgery to remove her spleen after internal bleeding was detected following the brutal attack.

When Towle was arrested in June she told police the victim was “violent and crazy” and she was defending herself, but remembered there “being a lot of blood”.

She claimed she didn’t know the other people involved in the attack, but “police had their doubts”, the court heard.

Amanda Towle outside Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Police prosecutor senior constable Matthew Hendry said it was difficult to saw who was responsible for causing the serious injuries in the “frenzied attack by four persons”.

Mr Hendry said the parkland next to the Bendigo Library was “unfortunately” a “hot spot” for violence and a message needed to be sent to the community that blatant public violence would not be tolerated.

Towle’s lawyer Damien Roberts said Towle was in a “dark place” at the time of the “all in brawl”, and had since moved to Shepparton to get away from the “negative influences” she was around while living in Bendigo.

Towle’s lawyer Damien Roberts said the woman was connected to Aboriginal culture through her grandmother, an elder in the Mildura area who conducted welcome to country ceremonies.

Towle receives $700 a fortnight from Centrelink and does dairy farming around Shepparton.

Magistrate Trieu Huynh said Towle had been complicit in violent public offending that would have been “very traumatic” for people to see.

However, because she had not reoffended for 14 months while on bail, he placed her on a good behaviour bond for 12 months with a conviction.

She was also ordered to contribute $500 to the court fund.