A woman who was escorted out of a Wollongong pub after she was involved in a violent fracas that erupted after a man insulted her has avoided jail.
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Danesha Jazmine Forester, who works as a concreter, cleaner and OnlyFans creator, was sentenced at Wollongong Local Court on Friday.
The 23-year-old pleaded guilty to affray, failing to leave a premises when required, and refusing to comply with a direction.
The offences stem from the night of August 20 last year when a man insulted Forester, who was seated in the lounge area of The Grand Hotel, saying he "f---cked" her mother. The court heard Forester's mother had died when she was young.
Forester reacted by flipping the man's hat off his head, to which he then pushed her off a bar stool.
Two other men with Forester stood up to assist her. They threw the man to the ground while Forester began to attack him, according to tendered court documents.
The man got up and Forester continued to punch him in the head, joined by her two associates.
Forester pushed the man in his face causing him to fall to the ground again, and as he attempted to get up, she scratched at his face while her two associates held him down.
One of the men with Forester kicked the victim in the groin while Forester punched him twice more in the head.
The victim managed to get to his feet and tried to get away, however Forester grabbed the hood of his jumper and threw him into a wall, before punching him again.
As he headed for the exit, Forester's associates pushed the victim to the ground again. Staff intervened and called triple-0.
The victim got to his feet and Forester pushed him away as he swung at her. All of the men left and Forester returned inside the pub.
Police arrived shortly after and approached Forester, asking her to leave the venue due to her level of intoxication.
She refused so they escorted her outside.
Police handcuffed her when she continued to refuse to move on from the area, causing one of her acrylic nails to break off and her finger to bleed.
Forester also pleaded guilty to a separate melee involving three people at Crown Street mall that occurred a few months later during November last year.
In court on Friday, defence lawyer Jonathan Kearney argued Forester had endured a traumatic childhood which led to a PTSD diagnosis and an introduction to drugs from a young age.
Mr Kearney added a significant act of violence was directed at her when she was pushed off the chair, and that she had an "obvious reaction" for someone who had been through what she had.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Kate McKinley accepted a provocative comment was made however argued Forester used repeated violence.
"She goes back and back again, there's kicks, there's punches," Sgt McKinley said.
Magistrate Claire Girotto spared Forester time behind bars and handed her a three-year community correction order to be of good behaviour.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
