A dispute over the way a woman's stepson had been disciplined, which involved a smack, escalated into an attack at a Lavington bus stop.
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Tanya Lorraine Kellett had previously been in a relationship with the victim's partner.
The victim had been babysitting Kellett's stepson some time in February.
The victim had chastised the boy for his bad behaviour by smacking him, which the boy's father agreed with.
Police agreed the discipline was legal.
But Albury Local Court yesterday heard Kellett, 29, was unhappy with the victim.
She approached her at a bus stop near Lavington Square Shopping centre on March 10.
She walked up to the victim on Griffith Road about 9.40am before lashing out.
"The accused approached the victim, who was sitting at the bus stop and punched her three times in the face for smacking her stepson," police told the court.
"The victim tried to defend herself by holding her arms in front of her face.
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"However the accused still made contact with the (woman's) face and as a result the victim's nose started to bleed."
Despite the attack, Kellett walked into the shopping centre, grabbed some toilet paper, and told the woman to clean herself up and see a doctor.
Police visited the injured victim's home about an hour after the assault, and spoke to Kellett later in the day.
The 29-year-old told police she regretted her behaviour.
"I know I can't take back what I did and I know there is really no excuse for what I did," she said.
Kellett added that she wasn't given permission to fight the woman.
"I done that on my own accord and my own free will," she said.
She declined to undergo an electronic interview after being taken to Albury Police Station and was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Her matter proceeded to sentence in a nearly empty courtroom due to COVID-19 concerns, with not even Kellett herself present.
She has previously been jailed for assault and received a suspended prison term for another attack.
The court heard Kellett has mental health issues, including bipolar, and may have post traumatic stress disorder.
Magistrate Richard Funston placed her on a 12-month community corrections order.
He extended an apprehended domestic violence order protecting the victim by two years.