July 25, 2013
A woman facing three assault charges was sentenced to a total of 12 months jail when she pleaded guilty in the District Court in Kingaroy today.
However the sentence was converted to an intensive correction order which will be served in the community.
Leila Cobbo, 31, was charged with common assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and assault with an offensive weapon after an incident at Cherbourg on October 27 last year.
Crown Prosecutor Shauna Rankine told the court the assaults occurred after a number of “consensual fights” between people.
“There was a bit of a melee going on involving a lot of people and there was alcohol involved,” Ms Rankine said.
Cobbo, a mother of four, admitted striking two women with a car jack. Fortunately one woman had no discernible injury while the other suffered some bruising to her arm.
Judge Gary Long said the assaults seemed to have occurred after an escalation of events as a result of family tension.
However he said Cobbo had been the first to resort to violence by throwing a punch.
“What occurred thereafter is complicated by the involvement of others and what has been described as consensual fights,” he said.
Judge Long said the fact Cobbo was affected by alcohol was an explanation but not an excuse.
