Stephen Dededar has sex charge dropped, pleads guilty to violent broom attack outside Broome fast food store

A “homeless” Broome man has plead guilty to unlawful assault after violently attacking a woman with a broom outside Chicken Treat. Stephen Dededar, 57, appeared in Broome Magistrates Court on Monday, November 29, charged with aggravated sexual penetration without consent and unlawful assault which caused bodily harm. The court was told police had dropped the sexual penetration charge and just the unlawful assault charge remained, which Dededar pleaded guilty to. It was heard on September 9, Dededar and a woman known to him were asleep outside Chicken Treat in Broome. When Dededar woke up, he grabbed a broom and swung it towards the woman, hitting her in the leg with the metal pole and causing the broom to break. Dededar then swung it a second time and hit the victim in the same location, which caused her to suffer a small laceration on her leg. The defence told the court Dededar had been struck by the victim earlier that day with a bottle, but it was accepted Dededar’s response had been “delayed and reactive”. Court was told Dededar was from Wangkatjungka but had spent time as an adult in the West Kimberley and now considered himself homeless. It was heard Dededar also found it hard to be in Wangkatjungka at the moment due to family and spiritual issues. Magistrate Stephen Sharratt acknowledged Dededar’s previous charges had always been dealt with by way of fines and that he was not used to being in custody, where he has been for two months. Dededar was released on bail to reside in Broome and will next appear in Broome Magistrates Court on December 13 for sentencing.