Alana Distefano sentenced in ACT Magistrates Court for assault in Lyneham

Alana Distefano, 33, of Braddon, was sentenced in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

She previously pleaded guilty to common assault and possession of an offensive weapon with intent.

Magistrate Glenn Theakston sentenced Distefano to two-months in custody to be suspended upon entering into a 12-month good behavior order. She was also fined $500 and ordered to complete 40 hours of community service.

Police documents tendered to the court in January state about 4.30pm on January 3 the victim drove into Corio Villa Court car park in Lyneham.

The woman exited her car and saw another person, later identified as Distefano, enter the carpark with blood covering her arms, hands and shirt. Small cuts on her arms were bleeding freely.

Distefano was carrying a glass bottle with the top broken off, leaving sharp, jagged edges, and threatened the other woman.

The offender began yelling threats to the effect of "I hate you" and "I'm going to bash you up".

As she approached the victim, Distefano raised the broken bottle towards her and said: "I am going to kill you".

Distefano then pulled a pair of glasses off the woman's face, before slapping her four times on the left cheek and pushing her backwards.

A male passer-by heard calls for help and placed himself in-between the two women, allowing the victim to call the police.

On Wednesday, the victim read an impact statement to the court, saying she was "traumatised and terrorised".

The victim said it was "terrifying" being approached by a woman covered in blood and being "vehemently told that she hated me".

"I felt as though I would at the very least be injured badly, or even killed," she told the court.

"I could not defend myself. The feeling of powerlessness and vulnerability was overwhelming.

"[Now] I try to gauge what I could have done or why the attack happened. I am bewildered."

Legal Aid lawyer Ellie Wallis told the court Distefano had turned to heavy drug use and fell in with a bad crowd after a relationship broke down.

However, Ms Wallis argued her client had now been sober for a few months and was undergoing counselling for her mental health and drug use.

Prosecutor Timara Callaghan said the crimes had been "an unprovoked and prolonged attack on a random member of the public".

Mr Theakston said that Distefano's offending was "inexplicable it appears to be random and unprovoked'.

He stated the offender had a problem with binge drinking and would become "volatile when consuming alcohol".

"[Distefano] needs to manage her behaviour before she starts drinking, not afterwards," he said.

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