Woman faces Orange Local Court for punching and stomping on boyfriend's head

The 22-year-old woman from east Orange is not named to protect the identity of the victim.

The court was told the assault took place after a man made a racial slur towards the boyfriend, who then punched the man in retaliation.

The woman in question then punched her boyfriend three times in the face during a disagreement. The couple then went inside, where the argument they were having continued, and she pushed him onto the ground and stomped on his face three times.

Magistrate David Day read out her offences when she appeared in Orange Local Court on Wednesday, November 8.

"What should happen to people who stomp on people's faces?" Mr Day asked.

"Here [he is] falling down and while he's down here goes the boot.

"He wasn't seriously injured, there wasn't anything that I read about any broken bones."

Solicitor Lucy Maranga said her client pleaded guilty to the "serious" assault.

"There was a two-year relationship between my client and the victim," Ms Maranga said.

"That relationship is now ended."

She said the assault took place during a birthday party for the woman's grandfather.

According to documents submitted to the court, the couple were in the backyard of an east Orange house drinking alcohol about 9.30pm on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 when the slur was made and assault started.

The victim then retreated inside the home, but the woman followed him into the living room and they continued to argue.

He pushed her, causing another physical altercation, and he fell to the ground. She then stood over him and stomped on his face three times.

The victim eventually stood up again and pushed her away causing her to fall onto the floor. He then held her down by her hair while trying to open the front door.

The victim left via the front door and started walking along the street but saw the man who insulted him earlier. When that man tried to initiate another confrontation the victim struck him a second time to the face before walking home.

The boyfriend's housemate later drove him back to the party to collect his belongings. It was there the boyfriend and girlfriend got into another altercation in the front yard, and they were separated by the housemate.

The woman later called the police and they arrived about 11pm. The police noticed she had obvious injuries, including a black eye and red swollen lip.

The police also attended the victim's residence and he also presented with facial injuries and scratches to his neck, which were bleeding.

Police arrested both of them and took them to Orange Police Station where they admitted to assaulting each other, causing injury.

Ms Maranga said her client has also taken steps to address personal issues as well as a problem with alcohol.

"She will be able to do the right thing by the community," Ms Maranga said.

She suggested her client be convicted due to the seriousness of the violence but otherwise that she receive a conditional release order.

However, Mr Day disagreed and said she crossed the custody threshold.

"If it had only been the three punches I would probably be amenable to your submissions," Mr Day said, adding it's long been said in court that "if you put the boot in you go in" referring to jail.

"He's already been punched in the face then stamped in the face, that's cowardly."

Mr Day said the woman has one previous conviction for mid-range drink driving.

For the assault he sentenced the woman to a seven-month intensive correction order, which is a community-based jail sentence.

It will run from November 8, 2023 to June 7, 2024, and the woman will also have to complete 20 hours of community service, participate in rehabilitation and abstain from alcohol in that timeframe.

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