A MOTHER has been slammed by a magistrate for her drug use, after she dislocated a woman's knee during a fight over alcohol.
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Sarah Camilleri, 32, of Currawong Street, South Bathurst was sentenced in Bathurst Local Court on September 20, 2023 after she pleaded guilty to two counts of assault resulting in actual bodily harm and having a prohibited drug.
Court documents state Camilleri and the victim were at a Rocket Street unit in Bathurst during the evening of June 21 watching the State of Origin.
As they mixed their own Bacardi Rum and cokes, Camilleri also smoked "ice".
It was about 6.30pm when the women got into an argument because Camilleri thought the victim had put extra alcohol into her drink.
The court heard Camilleri became "extremely" angry before she grabbed the woman's hand - which had previously been injured - and bent it backwards.
Camilleri then slapped the woman in the face with both of her hands, which left a small cut on the victim's top lip.
The pair went back to watching the TV for a few minutes, before Camilleri continued the argument.
As the victim stood to walk away, Camilleri pushed her to the ground.
The victim's knee dislocated as a result.
Camilleri and the victim then went back to drinking before a separate argument began about 12.30am, when the victim called a witness to explain what had happened.
The following day about 12.10pm, the witness went to the Rocket Street home to check on the victim.
Whilst there, she saw Camilleri and asked her to leave.
Police went about 10 minutes later and spoke with Camilleri, who admitted to pushing the victim.
Camilleri was then arrested and subject to a search, where police found two plastic bags of green vegetable matter inside her handbag.
Police took Camilleri to Bathurst Police Station, where the drugs were found to be 9.42 grams of cannabis.
![Bathurst Courthouse, where Sarah Camilleri was sentenced on September 20, 2023. Picture by James Arrow Bathurst Courthouse, where Sarah Camilleri was sentenced on September 20, 2023. Picture by James Arrow](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/5QSV2wJYJi8ZgVyWibkV7A/409efa68-a961-4a49-8ce1-b743f779565f.jpg/r0_0_7728_5152_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Sentence
Solicitor Clive Hill said during submissions that it was obvious Camilleri was "skating on thin ice" with the court, and that "she needs to give them [drugs] up".
In response, Magistrate Elizabeth Ellis said she struggled to understand how Camilleri failed to see how drugs were affecting her life.
"You have two children and one on the way ... I am very concerned as to where you're heading to from here," Ms Ellis said.
"It's seriously one thing or another. Everything is at risk unless you put in the work [to get off drugs]."
Camilleri held back tears as she was placed on a community correction order for 18 months, with the condition she has no drugs or alcohol for the entire period.
For the drug charge, she was also fined $400.
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