Woman to pay bashing victim

Photo / File

One of two women accused of bashing a woman who was visiting Tauranga for a wedding has been ordered to pay her victim $200.

Karma Hera Dwyer, 21, pleaded guilty in Tauranga District Court yesterday to a charge of assault and was sentenced to 50 hours' community work and ordered to pay $200 for emotional harm to victim Olivia Massey, at $20 a week.

Miss Massey and her partner live in Australia but were in town for a wedding.

Her lawyer Glenn Dixon told Judge Wolff it appeared the assault was the result of a misunderstanding about comments Dwyer believed were directed at her or her friend by someone in Ms Massey's group.

The police summary said that about 1.30am on March 25, Dwyer, who was drunk, and a friend were outside Bayfair Shopping Centre.

Ms Massey and her partner and friends were waiting at a taxi stand nearby when Dwyer approached Ms Massey, 27, and shouted at her "Hey are you getting smart?"

An altercation followed and Dwyer chased down Ms Massey and pulled her to the ground, before punching her about the head twice while her friend allegedly pulled her hair.

Dwyer admitted punching Ms Massey twice.

Dwyer's alleged co-offender is 25-year-old Tauranga mother-of-three Lisa Marie Smith.

Judge Wolff told Dwyer that while she had no previous history of violence it was a serious charge she had admitted which could well have seen her imprisoned for up to a year.

However, the judge said he was prepared to take into account her early guilty plea and offer to pay compensation to her victim.

Smith, who is also accused of smashing a bottle over Ms Massey's partner and their male friend's heads, also appeared in court yesterday.

She is yet to plead to two charges each of assault with a weapon and assault on police and a further charge of common assault. She is due back in court on April 27.