Two teenagers have been convicted of assault after they planned and executed an attack on a 14-year-old girl at a skatepark in Westport.
The attack, last June, left their victim with one eye swollen shut and swelling to the rest of her face.
Judge Paul Keller told Nancy Stevenson, 17, and Fern Dixon, 18, in the Westport District Court yesterday that he didn't know what the world had come to when young women like them took part in attacks on other young women.
Dixon pleaded guilty to assaulting the 14-year-old.
Stevenson denied the attack but admitted assaulting the girl's companion.
A police interview with Stevenson was shown in court.
In it she said she had objected to the 14-year-old giving marijuana to a younger family friend. There had also been texts between the girl and Dixon's boyfriend.
On the night of the assault Stevenson said she and Dixon had been at a house party with about 10 boys.
The boys showed her insulting texts the 14-year-old had sent them about her, said Stevenson.
"She was abusing me ... and I was drunk and everyone was egging me on. I thought it [the assault] was a good idea, but it wasn't ... I would never do it again I just needed to get my point across," said Stevenson.
One of the boys texted the 14-year-old to meet him at the skatepark and the whole group went there at about 10.30pm.
Stevenson and Dixon hid in the trees then ran towards the girl and her companion. Stevenson said she smacked the companion in the face, mistaking her for the 14-year-old, then apologised.
Meanwhile, Dixon pushed the 14-year-old off a park bench and started pulling her hair and punching her in the face.
Stevenson said some of the boys had texted her the next night to try to get them to fight again, but she ignored it.
In the witness stand, the 14-year-old said both defendants punched and kneed her in the face.
However, Stevenson said she had only been standing nearby yelling abuse and Dixon said only she had punched, but not kneed the girl.
In the DVD Stevenson said: "It was all over Facebook saying it was a gang-bash, but I would never boot someone in the head. That's just going too far."
One of the boys there on the night, Jedediah Ebeneza Walsh, who was summonsed as a witness, said he had seen only Dixon punching the 14-year-old.
Judge Keller said that despite vigorous cross-examination, the 14-year-old maintained both defendants had punched and kneed her.
However, it seemed pretty clear they "hatched" the assault plan together and at some point Stevenson "lent her encouragement".
Prosecuting, Sergeant Mark Harris said diversion had been discounted because of public concern over the rising number of such incidents, and the age difference between the victim and defendants.
Defending Stevenson, George Linder said she was a "bright young lass" endeavouring to get into the workforce. The assault was out of character and wouldn't happen again.
The consequences of having two assault charges on her record at her young age would "follow her heavily through life" and it was her first court appearance.
Dixon's lawyer Richard Bodle said his client had been open and honest about the assault and shown a high level of contrition. It was also her first offence and she had given birth since then.
It was young women fighting over young men, with texts and Facebook in the mix, and she had reacted in a way she shouldn't, he said. She felt even worse because her victim didn't fight back.
Judge Keller told the defendants that in other respects they were both "fine young women". It dismayed him they responded violently to insults.
He convicted Dixon of one assault and fined her $750. Stevenson was convicted of two assaults and fined $1250.
He hoped, perhaps in vain, they would sincerely apologise to the victim.
The 14-year-old's father is facing charges of assault against Stevenson and Dixon.