Terri Wardman imprisoned for brutally choking and punching victim multiple times

Magistrate Greg Grogin described the offender's behaviour as "disgraceful".

"The facts are very alarming in this matter," Mr Grogin said. "They reflect what can only be described as an ambush on an unsuspecting person."

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Terri Wardman, 34, of Wingewarra Street appeared in court via audio-visual link and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning in actual bodily harm in the company of others, and intentionally choking a person without their consent.

Wardman, who is unemployed but used to work as a part-time fencer, was known to the victim six months before the attack. Police said they were "somewhat friendly" at one point.

According to police, a 53-year-old co-accused male and another male associate were also present during the incident. The co-accused knew the victim for a long time and lived with her for several days while he "struggled for accommodation".

Wardman also told police she had consumed "three fourths of a carton of beer" throughout the afternoon before she was arrested and taken into custody.

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Details of the attack were revealed in legal documents as well as read aloud by the magistrate in court, on February 1.

The attack was carried out on September 11 last year. The co-accused had messaged the victim asking to meet him for a drink at Club Dubbo and arranged to pick her up at about 9.30pm.

He arrived in a silver Nissan Pathfinder SUV and the victim got into the front passenger seat. When approaching the pub, the co-accused drove past the entrance and "jokingly suggested" he had missed the turn off.

The court heard he drove into the parking area of Sir Roden Cutler park and stopped at the end of the road. Within seconds, while the car was still on, Wardman and her associate approached the victim's door and opened it.

Wardman grabbed the victim's neck with both hands and forcefully removed her from the car park, dragged her across a footpath, while continuing to choke her, onto a small artificial lookout.

Magistrate Grogin told the court the victim was incapable of resisting or speaking and grabbed onto the rails of the platform. He said Wardman then punched the victim four times in her mouth with a closed fist.

The victim's mouth became filled with blood; the plate holding teeth to her lower jaw was destroyed and teeth fell out of her mouth.

The court was told Wardman, the co-accused and the associate left location while the victim contacted a taxi, friends and police for help.

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Police arrived a short time later and found the victim with a taxi driver in the car park of Club Dubbo, about 100 metres from the park. The victim told them what had happened and an ambulance was called for medical assistance.

At Dubbo hospital, police took photos of the victim's injuries and obtained a statement.

During this time, the court heard the victim received message from the co-accused saying "and that's for going tru my phone when I was a sleep".

On Friday, November 4, Wardman was outside an address on Wingewarra Street when police approached her at about 6.30pm. They asked her about the incident and subsequently arrested her.

While in a cell at Dubbo Police Station, Wardman denied knowledge of any altercation with the victim at the park. She only said she had a "verbal altercation" with the victim earlier that day at an associate's home.

Police submitted that Wardman and the co-accused worked in conjuncton with each other to inflict injuries on the victim.

According to court papers, Wardman has previously been charged with serious offences involving aggravated breaking and entering, stealing and assault occasioning in actual bodily harm.

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Defence solicitor Arthur Nguyen said there were no objections to the facts of the offences.

He told the court about Wardman's "deprived background" saying she began using drugs at 13, has ADHD, and was exposed to frequent domestic violence between her parents.

"It's her first time in jail," Mr Nguyen said.

He said his client had been in custody since she was arrested in November, and that her sentence could begin from that date. He said her future plans were to access programs, rehabilitate and get back into working.

Magistrate Grogin said while Wardman came before the court with a "limited" record, it did not reflect the "ferocity" of the assault.

"This has gone to an absolutely new level of violence," he said.

"[It was] a complete and total ambush with total disregard for safety for safety of the victim. There needs to be a deterrence for Ms Wardman, and to the community, that violence is unacceptable.

"The community needs to be protected from her and the co-accused who decide to attack the victim in such a manner. Hopefully, a jail sentence is enough."

Wardman was sentenced to an aggregate prison term of 14 months beginning on November 4, 2022 and ending on January 3, 2024. The sentence carries a non-parole period of 9 months, and Wardman will be released to parole on August 3, 2023.

A two-year Apprehended Personal Violence Order was laid against Wardman to protect the victim.