A former Aboriginal Legal Service worker says she "didn't even think" about her own welfare when she tried to cover up a brutal bashing to protect a teenage criminal she considered a son.
Loretta Alamani Tulikaki, 25, was given a suspended jail term of more than seven months when she appeared for circle sentencing in the Galambany Court, for Indigenous offenders, on Thursday.
She had previously pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice and aiding and abetting theft.
Tulikaki's most serious offence involved her trying to cover up evidence of Jamie Barry, 18, and others carrying what police described as a "violent and degrading assault" against a witness in a court case.
Audio and video of the entire incident, which lasted 12 minutes, was recorded by home CCTV footage at the Dunlop house where it occurred.
In further footage obtained by police, Tulikaki entered the same house about 10 hours after the event and discussed what had happened with Barry and another alleged participant Dylan James Summerell.
Tulikaki told Barry and Summerell to delete CCTV footage of the assault, dispose of the victim's phone, which they had stolen from him, and to collect the clothing they were wearing.
Tulikaki said "clothes will burn" and that shoes needed "to be bleached".
"I need to go do something with them, the blood needs to be removed," she was recorded saying.
The theft charge related to an incident in March 2020, when Tulikaki helped co-offender Samantha Chatfield access the apartment of former housemate Natasha Rayner in order to steal several items.
These included jewellery and a wooden table with "Nomads" on the top. Ms Rayner was in a relationship at the time with the then-Canberra Nomads sergeant-at-arms, Alexander Victor Miller.
A number of the stolen items were later found at the Kingston home of the gang's then-national president, Micheal Wayne Clark.
In court on Thursday, Tulikaki discussed a background involving extreme violence and the need to protect those she loved.
Elder William Tompkins said it "seems to be a vicious circle" that Tulikaki was in and she needed to improve her life.
Tulikaki told the court she considered Barry to be like a son and had wanted to protect him, saying she "didn't even think about my own welfare".
Magistrate James Stewart believed the trauma likely affected her decision making.
After consulting with elders, Mr Stewart imposed the suspended sentence and a 12-month good behaviour order, which involves completing medical or psychological treatment.
Mr Stewart is due to sentence Barry on September 30 after the teenager pleaded guilty to charges of reprisal against a person involved in a legal proceeding, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, committing an act of indecency without consent, making an intentional threat to kill, and robbery.
