A woman allegedly stabbed in the face with a butter knife during an argument has suffered an injury "that will no doubt be disfiguring", a magistrate has said.
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"And leave a scar on the victim for the rest of her life," magistrate Robert Cook said on Tuesday.
Ebony Coffey Austen, 28, was refused bail in the ACT Magistrates Court, where she did not enter a plea to causing grievous bodily harm.
Police documents tendered to the court allege Austen seriously injured her cousin during a heated argument. However, defence lawyer Natasha Goode said the alleged victim was in fact a "cultural aunt".
Austen, of Downer, is accused of stabbing the other woman in the left cheek after a verbal argument broke out on Sunday night.
Mr Cook said it was clear the alleged victim had initiated a physical confrontation by punching Austen in the face. But he described the alleged offender's response as excessive.
Ms Goode said her "petite, slight" client had acted in self-defence against a larger woman who was present "with intention to confront or attack Ms Austen in her own home".
The alleged victim, the court heard, "is well known to police".
The lawyer also said the incident occurred on the same day as a community ceremony for the death of Austen's mother, who had recently passed away.
"She was mourning," Ms Goode said.
The alleged offender returned a blood alcohol content reading of 0.185 later that day, putting her in contravention of a bail condition not to drink alcohol.
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She was also found and arrested at an address she had been banned from being within 100 metres of.
Mr Cook refused the woman's application for conditional liberty.
Citing the further possibility of Austen drinking alcohol and her ability to control herself if things did not go to plan, the magistrate said "the risk is simply too high" to release the woman into the community.
Austen is set to face court again next month.
Tim Piccione
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
