Unprovoked wanton street violence would not be tolerated, Judge Kevin Phillips said, sentencing two women he described at ''louts''.
Charged jointly, Alana Jane Robins (21) and Samantha Grace Hurring (30), both of Dunedin, had admitted Crimes Act assaults on a man and a woman, early on May 17.
Sentencing the pair separately in the Dunedin District Court this week, the judge told Robins ''obnoxious violent behaviour by a bruising lout of a woman will not be tolerated''.
And he told Hurring ''people are entitled to use our streets in safety without being in fear of female louts like you''.
In 2012, Robins was sent to prison for two separate assaults. She had also earlier been convicted of assault, and she had a lengthy list of dishonesty offences, the judge said.
Hurring's list was nowhere near as long as Robins'. Robins was sentenced to eight months' jail, with six months' release conditions to follow.
Hurring was sentenced to four months' community detention (curfewed 7pm 7am daily), 150 hours' community work and nine months' supervision.
The police summary said the man and the woman were walking about 30m behind Robins and Hurring in Hanover St near the intersection with Great King St about 3.40am. Robins and Hurring turned and walked back towards them, yelling abuse.
Robins punched the woman victim once in the side of her head.
The male victim was speaking on his cellphone. Hurring tried to knock the phone away from his ear and verbally abused him.
Hurring stood in front of the woman victim, verbally abused her, and punched her twice in the the left side of her head, pushing her backwards.
Robins, standing toe to toe with the male victim and verbally ''in his face'', struck out at him with an open hand as he talked on his phone. Robins then walked up to the woman victim and punched her in the head.
As the victims' associates approached, Robins and Hurring walked off.
The woman victim was not injured. The male victim sustained a bruise to the right side of his face. When found and spoken to, Hurring said she had been intoxicated. Robins stated she could not remember the incident.
Counsel Alexandra Bligh said Robins had been drinking on the night. She had kept out of trouble for some time and had not been before the court for about 1 years. Robins had engaged with Stopping Violence.
She had a young child. Public defender Andrew Dawson said Hurring had been on a downward spiral since her children were removed from her care in April. She had an assault conviction in 2008 and no convictions since 2010.
Her childhood had been difficult. She had been living on her own since the day she turned 16. Judge Phillips said the victims were visiting Dunedin.
The male had previously lived here and was walking his friend home in an area where he had always felt safe. He ''very well'' described what happened as ''outrageous''.
''He feels highly ashamed he could not keep his friend safe.''
Robins was sentenced to eight months' jail for the assault on the woman and four months (concurrent) for the assault on the man.
Hurring was sentenced to four months' community detention, 150 hours' community work and nine months' supervision on each charge (concurrent); and, on a conviction for assaulting a woman on May 30, she was sentenced to two months' community detention, 100 hours' community work and nine months' supervision (concurrent with her other sentences).
