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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Lanie Tindale

Legal service worker allegedly destroyed evidence after 'degrading assault'

Loretta Tulikaki leaves court on Friday. Picture: Blake Foden

Three people have been charged over what police have described as "a sustained violent and degrading assault", which was allegedly a reprisal against a witness in a court case.

The trio includes a former Aboriginal Legal Service employee, who is accused of abusing her position with that organisation to pervert the course of justice.

Jamie Mitchell Barry, Dylan James Summerell and Loretta Alamani Tulikaki all appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.

Mr Barry is accused of kicking the alleged victim in the face at least six times in the early hours of March 26, leaving his face and head bleeding in the front yard of a Dunlop home, court documents say.

He has been charged with reprisal against a person involved in a legal proceeding, robbery, five assaults, threatening to kill, and two acts of indecency without consent.

Mr Summerell, 18, is accused of filming the 3.40am attack and faces charges that include assault.

Neither man applied for bail, and both were remanded in custody.

Police have also alleged O'Connor woman Ms Tulikaki, who was working as an Aboriginal Legal Service bail support officer at the time, told Mr Barry and Mr Summerell to "burn" clothing they wore during the alleged bashing, get rid of a mobile phone stolen from the victim, and delete footage of the incident.

Ms Tulikaki, 24, has pleaded not guilty to charges of perverting the course of justice, destroying evidence, and being knowingly concerned in a robbery and an assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

In court documents, police said the alleged bashing went for 12 minutes and was captured on video and audio "in its entirety".

Police claimed CCTV footage showed Ms Tulikaki arriving at the Dunlop home at 2.16pm on the day in question.

They said she expressed a desire to have someone approach the victim to "sort the matter out".

She is accused of saying "clothes will burn", and telling Mr Barry his shoes "need to be bleached" and "the blood needs to be removed".

Ms Tulikaki allegedly cleaned the victim's phone and identification with a sanitising wipe before putting them in a plastic bag, "ensuring she does not touch them with her bare hands".

She is also accused of turning up at the house at about 7.20pm that night, telling police her name was Rette Kirby and she was attending the house in her capacity as an Aboriginal Legal Service client services officer.

Prosecutor Tahlia Drumgold referred to this when Ms Tulikaki faced court on Friday, saying the woman's alleged offending was "brazen in light of her role".

She opposed bail, arguing the 24-year-old was likely to interfere with evidence if released.

Legal Aid defence lawyer Jan de Bruin applied for Ms Tulikaki, who had already been on bail for an offence of aiding and abetting theft, to be granted conditional liberty again.

Dr de Bruin argued factors that included Ms Tulikaki being the sole carer for an 11-month-old baby constituted the special or exceptional circumstances required for a bail application to be considered in this case.

Magistrate Louise Taylor ultimately agreed the combination of factors put forward by the defence lawyer allowed her to consider the application, which she granted.

When detailing bail conditions, Ms Taylor warned Ms Tulikaki that "police will be very interested in ... what you're doing, where you're going and who you have contact with".

"The best thing for you to do in the next little while is keep your head down and your bum up," Ms Taylor said.

Dr de Bruin said Ms Tulikaki had finished working at the Aboriginal Legal Service on Friday in order to spend more time with the baby in her care.

The 24-year-old is due to appear in court on June 13 in relation to the alleged assault.

She is expected to be sentenced for the theft offence on May 6.

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