A woman who grabbed a police officer’s radio during a wild brawl on a Sydney party boat has plead guilty to her part in the fight which saw five of her friends arrested and a 21-year-old birthday girl in hospital.
Lia Fekitoa, 25, swung her arms at police before she was capsicum sprayed and arrested.
She told a court today that she was ‘upset’ and ‘highly intoxicated’ when the fight broke out.
Lia Fekitoa, 25, swung her arms at police before she was capsicum sprayed and arrested after a brawl on a party boat in February
Theresa Ahofono, 23, left, and 23-year-old Teresa Sio, right, were also charged following the fight
Fekitoa’s friend Racheal Matycz, pictured right, (Fekitoa left) plead guilty to her part of the fight
Magistrate Daniel Covington told the young woman: ‘police are entitled to do their jobs without being assaulted’ before handing her a 12-month good behaviour bond, The Daily Telegraph reports.
The brawl which erupted on board the Constellation Party boat on February 25 ended with six arrests – and birthday girl Lana Marie Bettaglia in hospital.
The young woman was pushed down the stairs during the wild fight and said she would ‘never forget’ her 21st ‘for the good and unfortunately for the not so good’.
Another of the brawlers, Fekitoa’s friend Racheal Matycz, 25, also plead guilty on Wednesday.
The brawl which erupted on board the Constellation Party boat on February 25 ended with six arrests – and birthday girl Lana Marie Bettaglia, pictured, in hospital.
Teresa Sio (right) leaves the Downing Centre Court in Sydney, Wednesday after she plead not guilty to her alleged role in the fight
The fight broke out at about 11pm – the guest had been on the boat since 5.30pm
The mother tried to calm down her friend as grabbed at the police radio – but was charged as her positioning blocked Fekitoa from immediate arrest.
‘I was just trying to be a good friend for her to prevent her from doing anything which may affect her in the future,’ Matycz said. She was also placed on a good behaviour bond but no conviction was recorded.
23-year-old Teresa Sio plead not guilty to her alleged role in the fight and will return to court to fight the charges.
The women avoided the cameras outside the Downing Centre on Wednesday – with Sio wearing dark glasses and Fekitoa hiding her face in her hood.
Fakitoa and Matycz pictured together – Matycz said she was trying to help Fakitoa in the night
In the days after the fight Ms Bettaglia and her family commented on the fight which ‘ruined’ the party
John Naisali, 26, Agnes Tuivailala, 24, and Theresa Ahofono, 23, are also facing charges following the brawl.
In the days after the fight Ms Bettaglia and her family commented on the fight which ‘ruined’ the party – the people involved in the brawl were part of a different party held on the same boat.
‘Thankyou to everyone who made my night memorable,’ she said.
‘On a positive note I was drugged up for free. Endless endones and morphine.’
Family friend Rose Carambano, 57, said Ms Battaglia was ‘still in a lot of pain’ a day after the punch up at the party attended by 50 people.
‘It was terrible. When I heard last night, I thought ‘she’s never going to forget this birthday’. It was just awful,’ Ms Carambano said.
Family friend Rose Carambano, 57, said Ms Battaglia was ‘still in a lot of pain’ a day after the punch up at the party attended by 50 people