A Dubbo Aboriginal Health practitioner who threw a drink at a woman before later pulling over and punching her numerous times has been spared a jail sentence.
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Shari Piras, 28, had been drinking at the Amaroo Hotel in Dubbo when she noticed a female acquaintance in the front bar, about 12am on March 14 this year.
According to police, Piras began yelling "what the f--k are you looking at?!" before throwing her drink on the woman.
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After a struggle took place, the pair were removed by security and left the hotel.
A short time later, the woman was walking with a male associate down Macquarie Street, when Piras spotter her and got out of a blue Mitsubishi Lancer which had parked out the front of the former Harris Scarfe store.
Despite the efforts of the male associate to stop Piras, she stormed past and punched the woman in the face. The pair engaged in a physical fight, with both throwing punches at each other.
The pair ended up on the ground, when Piras got on top of the woman - who was lying on her back, and according to police was "essentially defenceless" at this stage - and began throwing punches to the woman's head.
The punches continued on the woman, until Piras was eventually restrained and later left the scene.
The woman and her associate attended Dubbo Police Station to report the matter. Court documents said police also obtained photos of the woman's injures which included a split lip and large bruise and bump to the top of her head.
In Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, Piras pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and affray.
Defence lawyer David Pheeney said Piras had known the woman for eight years, but on this particular night "there were daggers being stared from across the room".
He said while it wasn't an excuse, his client was not a usual drinker, but on the night had consumed five drinks and explained she had not been intoxicated, but tipsy.
The court heard, Piras was a single mum, held no criminal history and was a "valued member of her team" as an Aboriginal Health practitioner at the Dubbo Aboriginal Medical Centre.
Mr Pheeney said Piras also runs a 10-week weight loss program for people suffering from heart disease and diabetes, and her "biggest bogey" was the potential for job termination if a conviction was recorded.
"Her work is very important at the moment particularly while we're in this pandemic," Mr Pheeney said.
"You see from the letter she's a valued member of the team, up until now she's had an impeccable record and lived impeccably."
Magistrate Roger Prowse agreed Piras held a responsible position which stood to her credit, however it was "outrageous behaviour" she conducted on the night of the offence.
"There was absolutely and utterly no reason whatsoever for you to leave the car, apart from your manic desire to inflict punishment," Magistrate Prowse said.
"She didn't provoke you, or do anything to encourage you when you decided to fly out of the car and get stuck into her.
"All those good things your lawyer spoke of were in existence before you got out of the car and threw punches.
"This sort of behaviour is not tolerated, given you were drinking ... if she had of fallen backwards, hit her head and died you would have gone to jail for 11 years.
"It was just a stroke of luck that didn't happen."
He said the only thing stopping him from imposing a jail sentence, was her lack of criminal record and good she had done in the community.
Piras was convicted and sentenced to an 18-month community corrections order and fined $1950.
She was also ordered her not to enter a licenced premises for 18 months.