Our client was a mother of two children, charged with common assault and criminal damage. The incident arose one afternoon at school pick up time when, against a background of bullying by two classmates, the two females approached one of her daughters and pulled her hair.
A verbal onslaught of threats and suicide taunts were unleashed upon our client and her daughter, culminating in one of the girls placing her finger up to our client’s face. Our client reacted instinctively by pushing the girl backwards, and then attempting to take the mobile phone being used to record the confrontation from the hand of the other girl. A pair of spectacles worn by of one of the girls fell to the ground and were damaged beyond repair.
Following successful negotiations, the prosecution agreed to discontinue the criminal damage charge and the facts on which our client was sentenced were amended to be consistent with her narrative of the incident. Our client was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $300 and our application for a spent conviction for the assault charges was granted.