Teen in Rockhampton court for serious assault at party

A teenage girl has fronted court the day before Christmas for a serious assault against her niece while she was drunk at a house party, stomping her on the ground.

Generic assault. Blood generic.

A teenage girl has fronted court the day before Christmas for a serious assault against another at a house party that involved stomping on the victim while they were on the ground, along with kicking and punching them in the head.

The 15-year-old pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Childrens Court to one count each of assault occasioning bodily harm, assault police, public nuisance, and breach of bail condition (curfew).

Defence lawyer Ashley Reynolds said the victim was her client’s 18-year-old niece who had been spreading rumours about her at school.

She said the pair had a consensual fight on December 15.

Police prosecutor Brandon Selic said police were attending a separate incident on December 15 when they heard the defendant yelling obscenities.

He said she was told by police to calm down and stop yelling but did not.

Mr Selic said police then warned her but she continued her “tirade of verbal abuse” towards them and as she was arrested, she kicked out at officers and spat at them with the spit landing on one officer’s cheek.

Six days later, the defendant, while in the company of two older persons, assaulted the same person.

“The defendant sung out to the victim to fight; the victim tried to walk away as she believed the child was drunk and not worth fighting,” Mr Selic said.

He said the co-offenders were involved, there was a punch to the victim’s face and several girls were pushing them to fight.

Mr Selic said the female co-offender and the defendant “rushed in and grabbed the victim by the hair and began punching her in the head and body” and the victim fell to the ground.

He said the defendant and co-offender kicked and punched the victim in the head and ribs while she was on the ground while the other co-offender stood on the side encouraging the attack.

Mr Selic said the victim got up and left.

He said she was bleeding from a cut to her hairline, her eye swollen shut, knee scraped, arms grazed and her head and body sore.

The victim attended hospital the next day.

Ms Reynolds said her client was very remorseful about spitting on the police officer and apologised to the officer later on in the watch house.

She said her client instructed she was not drinking alcohol at the party and doesn’t normally drink it.

Ms Reynolds said the defendant had called out to the victim because of the ongoing feud.

She said the child hopes to reach out to the victim’s uncle once back in the community to try and talk out the issues and to say sorry and so that they don’t continue fighting as they are family.

The court heard the child only had a reprimand on her juvenile history.

Acting magistrate Paul Byrne placed the child on a nine-month probation order and no convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Teen in Rockhampton court for serious assault at party