Previously confidential details of the assault on independent Senator Lidia Thorpe outside Melbourne Cricket Ground have entered the public domain after a long-running suppression order was lifted, allowing court evidence and CCTV footage to be reported for the first time.

The incident occurred outside the MCG following the annual Dreamtime at the ‘G AFL match in May 2024. Court proceedings heard that a verbal exchange took place before Senator Thorpe and her companions walked away. Prosecutors said the accused, Ebony Bell, then pursued the group, with security cameras capturing the confrontation that followed.

According to evidence presented in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, CCTV footage showed Bell striking Senator Thorpe multiple times to the head and jaw before also assaulting two of the senator’s companions during the altercation. Photographs of injuries suffered by Senator Thorpe, including bruising and ongoing physical effects, were also tendered during the proceedings.

The case remained subject to a suppression order for more than a year, preventing media outlets from reporting many aspects of the proceedings while the matter was before the court. Following the conclusion of the criminal case, that order was lifted, although the court declined to release the complete CCTV recording because of concerns relating to the complainant’s privacy.

Bell had previously pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury to Senator Thorpe and unlawfully assaulting two other people involved in the incident. During sentencing, the court also considered a separate assault committed while Bell was on bail for the Thorpe matter.

Magistrate Jillian Prior sentenced Bell to a 12-month community corrections order with a conviction, imposed a $300 fine and directed her to undertake treatment addressing alcohol use and anger management. In deciding against imprisonment, the court considered a range of sentencing factors, including rehabilitation prospects and the overall circumstances of the offending.

During the proceedings, the prosecution described the assaults as serious acts of violence, while the defence argued the incident followed comments that Bell believed had been made about her mother. Senator Thorpe has consistently denied making the alleged remarks. The court’s sentence followed Bell’s guilty pleas rather than a contested trial over those claims.

In a statement issued after the sentencing, Senator Thorpe said the assault had caused lasting physical and emotional impacts and that public speculation during the suppression period had made the experience more difficult. She also reiterated that she had consistently opposed a prison sentence for the offender and wanted the matter to come to an end.

The case has attracted significant public attention because it involved a serving federal senator and an unusually lengthy suppression order. Media organisations had challenged aspects of the reporting restrictions, arguing that open justice is an important principle once legal proceedings have concluded.

With the criminal proceedings now finalised, the lifting of the suppression order has allowed the public to understand more fully how the incident unfolded and how the court assessed the evidence presented. The matter also highlights the balance courts must strike between protecting the fairness of proceedings, safeguarding the privacy of those involved and maintaining the principle of open justice.