A woman who admitted she got into a brawl in a bar was shown mercy by a magistrate yesterday.

Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe told Shalayah Pendleton, 20, that an assault conviction could affect her opportunities for work and travel.

He said: “That momentary lapse of judgment could land you a conviction that would hang over you for the rest of your life.”

Mr Wolffe was speaking after Pendleton, from Warwick, earlier admitted an assault on Nareesha Davis during a fight at the Bermuda Bistro at the Beach in Hamilton in August last year.

The court heard that Pendleton stepped in after an argument that involved her friend got physical. Pendleton told the court that she attempted to break up the fight, but ended up hitting Ms Davis.

She said: “A bottle was thrown, hands were flying and I was trying to help my friend.”

Pendleton added: “I shouldn’t have gotten involved in another person’s fight. It wasn’t worth it.”

Pendleton appeared in court on June 3 with three other defendants alleged to have been involved in the disturbance.

She pleaded guilty and was ordered to return for sentence yesterday.

Mr Wolffe sentenced her to a six month conditional discharge.

He told Pendleton: “Use this as a learning opportunity — if someone’s fighting, just go the other way.”

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