Ebony Bell has been sentenced to a $300 fine and a 12-month community corrections order for assaulting independent Senator Lidia Thorpe outside the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in May 2024. The 29-year-old also committed a second assault on a security guard while on bail, which was considered in the sentencing.
Details of the MCG Assault
The court heard that Bell and Thorpe had a verbal altercation outside gate 1 of the MCG at about 10pm after the annual Dreamtime at the 'G match. Thorpe and her friends walked away, but Bell pursued them. CCTV footage showed Bell punching Thorpe twice to the head and then to the jaw. Bell also punched Thorpe's male friend in the face and pulled a woman's hair as she tried to restrain Bell.
Photos of Thorpe's injuries, including a bruised lip and neck, were presented to the court. Thorpe submitted victim impact statements describing deep and long-lasting impacts from the assault, compounded by a lack of understanding of why it occurred. Magistrate Jillian Prior noted that Thorpe's statement described the layering of trauma upon her own experiences as a First Nations woman in the Senate.
Second Assault While on Bail
While on bail for the Thorpe assault, Bell committed a second assault in August 2025 at the Whalers hotel in Warrnambool. CCTV showed Bell hitting a bouncer in the head with her phone three times after being refused entry, then dragging him to the ground and kicking him in the head. Bell pleaded guilty to additional charges for this incident.
Prosecutor Bianca Moleta argued for a jail sentence, describing the second assault as another gratuitous act of violence. However, Bell's barrister, Carmendy Cooper, urged for a community order, citing Bell's good prospects for rehabilitation. Cooper alleged that the refusal of entry to the pub was motivated by racism, which Bell reacted to strongly.
Sentencing and Thorpe's Response
On Friday, Bell was handed a 12-month community corrections order with conviction, ordered to undergo treatment for alcohol addiction and anger management. She was also fined $300.
Senator Thorpe issued a statement saying she was thankful the matter was finalized, describing it as a difficult experience made harder by public speculation. She reiterated that she had never met Bell before the incident and had consistently advocated against a prison sentence for the person involved.
