A WOMAN has been sent to jail after a "planned, sustained, and vicious assault" on a woman and her child outside a Tamworth supermarket.
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Carissa Carroll will spend 18 months behind bars after she punched a woman 15 times, and shoved an 11-year-old in the chest, outside the Coles in Kathleen Street, South Tamworth.
Carroll appeared in Tamworth Local Court when magistrate Roger Prowse slammed the offender for what he described as a "planned", and "particularly grievous act".
The court heard Carroll had removed her nose ring, bracelet, and earrings while she waited for the victim to come out of the supermarket.
Carroll punched the victim 15 times - five of those being strikes to the head - which caused bruising and swelling.
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She was charged with one count of stalking or intimidating with intent to cause physical fear, and two counts of common assault.
At the time, she was sentenced to a good behaviour order which Mr Prowse revoked in light of a fresh assault.
The court heard six months after the "vicious assault" at the supermarket, Carroll punched a service station employee in the face after she complained about a drink not being cold enough.
Carroll was at the service station with a co-accused when she approached the counter to complain about the drink.
The court heard the employee asked her manager for help when Carroll pushed the manager into a stack of shelves and tried to drag him out of the store.
She then walked back towards the employee and punched her square in the face - breaking her $600 prescription glasses.
She was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH), and destroying or damaging property.
Carroll's Legal Aid defence solicitor Yolondie Cherry told the court the offender had taken steps to control her anger, and asked for a community-based sentence.
Ms Cherry said Carroll had started gardening, colouring in, and had recognised she needs to "avoid situations of confrontation".
"She has recognised she can't continue to respond in this kind of way," she said.
Mr Prowse said a community-based option was not available, and Carroll's had demonstrated an attitude that being violent is a "reasonable way to react".
He said comments made during police interviews, and in sentencing assessment reports - which included references to smacking people who crossed her - had done her a "complete disservice".
Mr Prowse granted Carroll a 25 per cent discount on sentence for her early pleas, and set a non-parole period of nine months.
She will be first eligible for release in April, 2024.
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