Hazel Tamaera Hobbs guilty of assaulting brother’s girlfriend Deeanna Michelle McDonald at Geraldton Hotel

A magistrate has warned a 19-year-old Geraldton woman she was lucky she didn’t kill her brother’s girlfriend, who she repeatedly punched in the jaw at a local pub last year. Hazel Tamaera Hobbs pleaded guilty yesterday to the common assault of Deeanna Michelle McDonald at the Geraldton Hotel on October 17. Police prosecutor Sgt Tanja Wentzel told Geraldton Magistrate’s Court Hobbs and Ms McDonald were drinking at the pub together when they approached the bar about 8.50pm and Hobbs punched the victim twice in the upper jaw. Both women were ejected from the premises and Ms McDonald did not report any serious injuries. Legal Aid defence lawyer for the 19-year-old hairdresser Kelly Beard said the relationship between the pair had been tense “for a while”, and the situation became heated before Hobbs attacked the victim. She said her client had apologised to Ms McDonald and was hoping to maintain a relationship with her. Ms Beard requested that Magistrate Chris Miocevich give Hobbs a spent conviction as she was hoping the incident would not affect her career prospects, which were “many years ahead” of her and “unknown”, as she was looking to gain employment on a mine site. Mr Miocevich granted the spent conviction but told Hobbs during sentencing she was lucky she did not seriously injure or kill the victim. “Any assault is serious and has the potential to cause serious injury or death,” he said. “You may have seen the ads on TV about people being king-hit... you could have easily been here today charged with manslaughter or even murder. “It is really important you don’t assault people, especially to the head.” Hobbs was also fined $400 and ordered to pay $248.70 in court costs.