Professional Experience

Yvette regularly appears in a broad range of criminal and traffic cases, including:

  • Bail applications to the Local, District, and Supreme Courts of New South Wales,
  • Sentencing proceedings in the Local and District Courts of New South Wales,
  • Complex Local Court defended hearing,
  • Domestic violence matters (including apprehended violence orders),
  • Serious sexual violence matters,
  • White collar crimes,
  • Complex drug supply and possession crimes,
  • Applications pursuant to s 14 and 19 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 (NSW) (formerly known as s 32 of the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990),
  • All manner of appeals, including licence appeals in the Local Court, severity and conviction appeals in the District Court, and
  • Indictable matters.

Results

  • Our client was a 51-year-old male charged under Commonwealth law with the offence of ‘use carriage service to menace, harass, offend’. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment and / or a $13,320 fine.

    The facts of the case were that our client sent a one-off email to the local high school after finding out that a female friend had been severely bullied there as a child. The language of the email was very offensive and threatening towards the school staff. It was read by one employee who immediately informed the police.

    Our client contacted Lamont Law and we assisted him to prepare his case, demonstrating his remorse to the court. We also helped him to explain to the court the context of his actions, as he was distressed that his friend had developed significant mental health problems as a result of the bullying and had been hospitalised for depression and anorexia.

    Our criminal defence lawyer, Yvette, made submissions to the court, highlighting our client’s genuine remorse, the fact that the behaviour was completely out of character and the extenuating circumstances in which it was made. She thereby persuaded the magistrate to exercise her power to impose a good behaviour bond and not to impose a conviction. This was a considerable relief, as our client’s company held contracts with a large government department and was concerned that a criminal conviction may jeopardise this business.

  • Our client was a 55-year-old female charged with common assault in a domestic violence context. The offence carries a maximum penalty of 2 years imprisonment and / or a $5,500 fine.

    The facts of the case were that our client slapped her son’s girlfriend across the face in her own house after the girlfriend had come around to our client’s house and caused distress to our client’s elderly mother. The background to these events was that our client and her son had been subject to verbal and physical abuse by his girlfriend over a number of years, having all previously lived together.

    Our client contacted Lamont Law for assistance and we were able to provide advice and help her put together subjective material demonstrating to the court that this behaviour was completely out of character and that she was extremely remorseful and had a high level of insight into her actions.

    Out Northern Rivers lawyer, Yvette Holt, made compelling submissions to the court, ultimately persuading the magistrate not to record a conviction against our client in this case. As our client was finishing a degree in early childhood eduction, this was a matter of significant relief, as a criminal conviction for assault may have made it very difficult for her to obtain employment in her field upon graduation.

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