Malika Fae Jetta pleads guilty to assault and has bail denied for “escalating and random violent offences”

An Albany woman has admitted an assault charge and faces imprisonment for what the magistrate has called a series of “escalating and random violent offences”, including one in which she allegedly attacked a 16-year-old because she was “standing there like a slut”. Malika Fae Jetta appeared in Albany Magistrates Court on eight charges, including multiple counts of assault, stealing, and trespass, via video link from Melaleuca Women’s Prison on October 26. The 26-year-old admitted one count of assault occasioning bodily harm for an incident on August 21 in which she came up behind a woman at a bank on York Street and struck her in the face, leaving her with a black eye. Police prosecutor Sgt Peter Yuswak told the court the incident was captured on CCTV. Jetta also faced one charge of unlawful assault and committing bodily harm with circumstances of aggravation. She is accused of punching a 16-year-old who was waiting for her mother outside the North Road Shopping Centre on October 13, using both fists and flinging her to the ground. CCTV footage of the incident played in court shows the teenager curling up into a ball as the assailant sits on her before kicking her in the gut and walking away. Jetta was later arrested by police. Sgt Yuswak told the court that when asked by police why she attacked the victim, Jetta said: “I gave her a beating, she was standing there like a slut”. Jetta also faced a charge of common assault for another alleged unprovoked attack on September 9 in which she is accused of attacking a woman at an ATM who refused to give her money. Police say Jetta approached a man and a woman at the Bankwest ATM on York Street asking for cash. When the victim refused, Jetta allegedly attacked her, hitting her multiple times before the man intervened and stopped the attack. Speaking over the video link, Jetta apologised to the court. “I’d like to say how sorry I am and I didn’t mean to assault them,” she said. “I don’t really want to be in jail right now.” Noting that Jetta was already on a suspended imprisonment order, Magistrate Erin O’Donnell said she was not satisfied that there were sufficient exceptional circumstances to grant bail. Ms O’Donnell said the charges painted a picture of random violence against unsuspecting members of the public. “The community needs to be protected from the accused,” she said. “There is a pattern of escalating and random violent offences. “These are unprovoked attacks against unknown people — it’s completely out of the blue. “There is a very strong likelihood of a term of imprisonment.” Bail was refused and revoked for all matters before the court. The alleged assaults at the North Road Shopping Centre and the Bankwest ATM were both adjourned to November 30. Jetta admitted guilty to stealing and trespass charges for offences committed on August 17 and September 17 in Yakamia and Mt Melville while two further counts of trespass for incidents on October 9 and October 10 were adjourned to the November hearing. All of Jetta’s alleged victims were unknown to her before the attacks.