A "vigilante" couple who, armed with a knife and metal pole, ambushed and assaulted two teenage girls in a terrifying alleyway attack, have narrowly avoided jail time.
Jordan Lewis, who held a knife to the throat and stomach of a 16-year-old girl, and her partner Timothy Lewis, who threatened a 13-year-old girl with a metal pole during the 2021 attack, each pleaded guilty to two charges of aggravated assault.
Justice Peter Barr described the couple's actions as "vigilante justice", saying they "took the law into [their] own hands" when they attacked the teenagers who they believed had been taunting them.
The Northern Territory Supreme Court heard there had been "ongoing disputes" between the couple and a group of teenage girls in the lead-up to the assault, and on the afternoon of October 15, 2021, the couple "absolutely lost it" after a stick was thrown over their fence, hitting their young daughter.
Justice Barr found the couple then "formed a common intention" to assault the group of girls.
According to the agreed facts of the case, Jordan Lewis, armed with a 10-15cm knife, drove around the block and parked her car on one side of an alleyway before hiding behind a fence, while Timothy Lewis, armed with a 70cm metal pole, chased the group of girls into the alley from the other side.
Most of the group scaled a fence to escape, while the 16-year-old victim sat on the ground with her back against the fence.
Jordan Lewis grabbed the shirt of the 13-year-old victim and pulled her off the fence, to the ground next to the older girl.
"Jordan Lewis … you stood over [the 16-year-old victim] and repeatedly punched her in the face, arms and legs. At the same time … you held the knife to [her] stomach and throat," Justice Barr said in sentencing.
"The knife caused a small cut on [the victim's] left jaw… You threatened to stab [the victim]."
The court heard Jordan Lewis demanded the victim hand over her bag, with the intention of taking a photograph of the victim's ID card to show police.
"Whilst Jordan Lewis was assaulting [the 16-year-old], you, Timothy Lewis, approached [the 13-year-old victim], … you raised the pole above your head, which made [the victim] fear that you were going to hit her with it," Justice Barr said.
The court heard Jordan Lewis then punched the younger girl in the elbow and Timothy Lewis left the area to chase the other teenage girls.
Justice Barr described the assault as "terrifying" and said the court strongly denounced people who took the law into their own hands.
"Such actions rarely resolve matters and can make situations worse … Your actions were much more than just retaliation," Justice Barr said.
Lawyer says couple 'completely boiled over'
The court heard a group of teenage girls had been targeting the couple with verbal abuse, threats and "much worse", since Jordan Lewis intervened on behalf of an elderly neighbour who was being threatened.
Justice Barr said bottles filled with sand and rocks were thrown into the property where they lived with their four young children.
The couple had also been broken into on three occasions in the weeks leading up to the attack on the teenagers.
"It is reasonable to infer that you considered yourselves under siege," Justice Barr said.
Justice Barr said there was no evidence to suggest the 16-year-old victim was involved in a series of break-ins in the neighbourhood prior to the attack.
However, prosecutors accepted the 13-year-old and 16-year-old were part of the group that threw objects and yelled taunts at the family on the day of the assault.
Outside court, the couple's lawyers said they had tried to get help from police.
"Seventeen triple-0 calls … and they were failed," defence lawyer Peter Maley said.
The court heard the pair had spoken to police about the ongoing tension with the group of girls but were told "the police were unable to do anything" other than "step up patrols".
Defence barrister Jon Tippett KC said Timothy and Jordan Lewis attempted to contact police on the day of the assault and on occasions prior.
"In circumstances like that, people are inclined to completely boil over, to lose their capacity to think clearly, and that's what happened in this occasion," Mr Tippett said.
Justice Barr said the family had sold their house and moved away to "ensure [they] will not be subject to harassment from youths in the Casuarina area and Darwin's northern suburbs".
In a victim impact statement tendered to the court, the 16-year-old girl said she was traumatised by the assault and suffered panic attacks.
"I can't even stay at school and complete my schooling because I was scared to even catch the public transport," the statement read.
"I was always looking over my shoulder in fear thinking I was going to get attacked."
Jordan Lewis was handed a two-year prison sentence, fully suspended, while Timothy Lewis was sentenced to 12 months in jail, also suspended immediately.
