Rodney Stevens
A Casino woman charged with a serious assault, assaulting police and resisting arrest will face local Aboriginal elders in a circle sentencing process.
Tahlia Davis faced two counts of assaulting an officer in the execution of their duty, resisting arrest, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and remaining on enclosed lands without a lawful excuse, when her matters were mentioned in Lismore Local Court on Monday.
Police allege between 10.30pm and 11.30pm on December 20, 2016, Ms Davis assaulted a woman at Casino causing actual bodily harm.
Facts before the court stated Ms Davis ‘clenched her fists and punched the victim in the left side of her face near her left eye, causing the victim to feel immediate pain.’
‘The accused ran back at the victim. she clenched her fists and punched the victim in the head a number of times.’
The victim contacted her sister and was taken to Lismore Base Hospital by her parents for treatment, police facts stated.
When Ms Davis attended Casino police station on December 28 she was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and granted bail to appear in January.
Then on March 14, between 7.15pm and 8.10pm, Ms Davis allegedly assaulted a male and then a female senior constable and resisted arrest.
Following the incident, police allege Ms Davis failed to leave a McDermott Place address.
She was arrested, taken to Lismore police station, charged and granted conditional bail.
On Monday the court heard the 19 year-old had previously pleaded guilty to all charges.
As Ms Davis had pleaded guilty, she was assessed as suitable for circle sentencing and Magistrate David Heilpern adjourned her matters until August 31 for sentencing at Lismore Local Court.
Circle sentencing is an alternative sentencing process for adult Aboriginal offenders in New South Wales who plead guilty, according to the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research.
It takes the sentencing process out of the traditional court setting and allows the involvement of the offender’s community.
In a circle sentence, the offender, magistrate, community elders and (on occasion) the victim and support people for the offender and/or victim sit in a circle to discuss the circumstances and impact of the offence and determine a sentence tailored to the offender.
Circle sentencing representatives try to determine a sentence that will not include a jail term.
