A woman from Ballarat's suburb of Eureka has admitted to a series of violent offences spanning more than a year, with the Ballarat Magistrates' Court hearing details of multiple assaults, thefts and confrontations with police.
Madisyn Adderley, 20, pleaded guilty to numerous charges after appearing in custody before the court. The offending involved separate incidents of violence against several victims, as well as theft and resisting police.
The court heard that in January 2025, Adderley and a co-accused confronted a 16-year-old girl at the Ballarat railway station, believing she possessed a mobile phone belonging to one of Adderley's family members. During the incident, the co-offender allegedly slammed the teenager's head into a concrete wall and punched her repeatedly. Adderley then took the girl's phone and threatened to throw her onto the railway tracks if she refused to provide the device's passcode.
The prosecution outlined further violent incidents occurring over the following months. In December 2025, Adderley admitted choking a woman, punching her, spitting in her face and smashing her mobile phone. In another incident during March 2026, she repeatedly assaulted another woman, punching and choking her until she lost consciousness despite the victim pleading for the attack to stop. Prosecutors said Adderley later falsely claimed the victim had inflicted the injuries on herself.
The court also heard Adderley committed several theft offences at Ballarat supermarkets and resisted police during one of the incidents. The offences formed part of a broader pattern of criminal behaviour that prosecutors described as serious and escalating.
During sentencing submissions, the defence presented evidence about Adderley's personal circumstances. The court was told she has an intellectual disability, experienced significant exposure to violence while growing up and has struggled with severe alcohol dependence. At one stage, she was reportedly consuming up to one litre of alcohol each day, with her addiction contributing to many of the offences before the court.
Defence lawyers submitted that Adderley has now spent 90 days in custody and is engaging with rehabilitation services. The court heard she is currently being assessed for a Community Corrections Order, which could include treatment programs and strict supervision aimed at reducing the risk of future offending.
Magistrates were told that while the offending was serious, rehabilitation options should also be considered alongside punishment because of her personal circumstances and ongoing treatment needs. The court adjourned the matter to allow the assessment process to be completed before determining the appropriate sentence.
Adderley is expected to return to the Ballarat Magistrates' Court next week, when the court will consider the assessment report and decide whether a community-based sentence or another penalty is appropriate. Until then, she remains in custody awaiting the outcome of the proceedings.
