Sydney Knox grammar school boy punched and slut shamed woman night out

EXCLUSIVE Sydney Knox: Why a young woman told to ‘put her t*ts away’ before being PUNCHED by a private schoolboy is furious with a judge’s comments – as the outfit that prompted his vile outburst is revealed

• Nicholas Drummond slut-shamed a woman at bar before punching her in face
• Former Knox student was charged with assaulting woman and male bystander  
• The judge concluded that convictions would not be recorded in court last week
• Drummond’s victim spoke to Daily Mail Australia under condition of anonymity 
• She said she was ‘extremely disappointed’ at judge’s decision and words
• Woman said comments on what she was wearing felt like ‘actions were justified’ 
• Sex abuse campaigner Chanel Costos shared image of the woman on Instagram 

The woman who was slut-shamed and punched in the face by a drunk ex-private school boy in Sydney said she was ‘extremely disappointed’ after a judge let him walk away without conviction.

Nicholas Drummond, a 20-year-old former Knox Grammar student, hit the young woman and knocked her to the ground after telling her to ‘put her t*ts away’ at a popular pub on the North Shore in December last year.

He had punched another patron in the back of the head moments before attacking the young woman, but was let off on a conviction after having a ‘difficult year’ where his dog died.

In comments which sparked outrage, the judge even remarked that her outfit ‘could be perceived to be provocative’.

Speaking to Daily Mail Australia under the condition of anonymity, the woman said she was devastated at the judge’s ruling – particularly the attention drawn to her outfit.

‘I’m extremely disappointed with the judge’s comment as I feel that what I was wearing shouldn’t have even been commented on,’ she said.

‘It made me feel as if his actions were almost justified.’

Drummond was placed on a bond and convicted of assaulting the woman and the male bystander in July but the convictions were not deemed ‘necessary’ by the NSW District Court last week.

The judge noted the incidents were sparked by Drummond’s ‘loose tongue and loose thoughts’ on a background of excessive alcohol use.

‘(He made) a lewd and completely inappropriate remark towards someone he didn’t know but whose dress might have been perceived by a former student of Knox to be provocative,’ Judge Richard Sutherland said.

The woman said she hadn’t met Drummond prior to the attack and was disheartened the judge referenced her outfit when handing down his ruling to not record convictions for the assaults.

‘I didn’t consider a long sleeve top and shorts provocative. I went to a private school myself and none of my friends seem to be so offended by what I was wearing,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘It’s a shame. I thought we were definitely progressing in society and women were being heard but clearly not.’

The campaigner who revealed a culture of sexual abuse at some of Sydney’s top private schools shared an image of what the woman was wearing the night Drummond punched her.

Chanel Costos, a 22-year-old former student at Kambala, started a petition in February calling for ‘sexual consent education’ at boys schools after hearing the testimonies of hundreds of young female victims.

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Ms Costos has since become the face of sexual education reform in Sydney, driving change in curriculums for both boys and girls schools.

She posted the image to her Instagram page on Tuesday night, slamming the court’s decision and the disgraceful behaviour of the former Knox student at the Greengate Hotel in Killara.

‘This is who Nicholas Drummond punched in the face and knocked to the ground,’ she posted to social media.

‘This is what she was wearing the night when the judge concluded that Nicholas made a “lewd and inapporopriate remark towards someone he didn’t know but whose dress might have been perceived by a former student of Knox to be provocative”.

‘Nicholas Drummond pleaded guilty yet still [no] consequences were had.’

Ms Costos told Daily Mail Australia the ruling ‘couldn’t exemplify more how little accountability is held in our society when privileged men perpetrate violence’ and called for reform in both the schooling and legal systems.

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‘He pleaded guilty and there is still no accountability. When that is the case how can we possibly have trust in our criminal system to provide justice to victims of men’s violence?’ she said.

‘Traditional solutions aren’t doing a good enough job at holding boys and men accountable for their actions, which is why violence in our country is rife.’

The young woman said she spoke to the other victim of Drummond’s unprovoked attacks at the Greengate and both were ‘really frustrated’ with the court’s decision.

‘It doesn’t seem very just at all,’ she said.

The other victim of Drummond’s violence was a young man who revealed on Facebook he was ‘punched in the back of the head’ moments before he attacked the woman.

The former North Sydney Boys student revealed his story after sharing an article about Mr Drummond, revealing he too had been hit.

‘Last year, Nick Drummond punched me in the back of the head while I was just waiting in line for a bar,’ he wrote.

‘Never said a word to him, never even met him. He was angry about getting kicked out and took it out on the first bloke he saw. Then he punched a girl in the face and kicked her on the floor.

‘He pleaded guilty but his convictions got wiped when he appealed them. Ridiculous. When did having a ‘rough year’ become an excuse for physically assaulting 2 people??’

Ms Costos said she believes Drummond’s status helped him secure a favourable outcome and said the court’s decision would harm young women coming out in the future.

‘Entitlement and privilege causes this and results in no accountability,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘[The woman] has been brave in going through the court process on behalf of everyone around NSW who are victims to men’s violence. Speaking up about it points out the injustice and reminds everyone why we are angry.

Ms Costos is leading the Teach Us Consent campaign to introduce ‘holistic and earlier sexual education is made mandatory across Australia’ within five years.

‘In February 2021, I posted an Instagram story asking my followers if they or someone close to them had been sexually assaulted by someone who went to a single-sex school in Sydney,’ she said.

‘Within 24 hours, 200 people replied ‘yes’. Since then, over 6,600 people have detailed their stories of sexual assault on teachusconsent.com, and over 43,000 Australians have signed the petition for consent to be included in Australian schools’ sex education earlier.’

The court’s decision also frustrated and saddened a friend of the woman, who said Drummond was being taught there are ‘no real repercussions’.

‘Everyone complains about violence against women but here, he’s given another opportunity and told ‘you’ve had a rough year’,’ the friend, who declined to be named, said.

‘What about her year?’

Drummond, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and destroying property after his destructive, drunken night out on Sydney’s north shore in December 2020.

The junior soccer coach and state-league player called his female victim a ‘slut’ and told her to put her ‘t*ts away’ while both were at the Greengate.

When the woman approached him and asked for an apology, the Wahroonga man told her to ‘f*** off’.

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The pair coincidentally encountered each other later in the night at Chatswood’s Orchard Hotel, where she approached and photographed Drummond, sparking a melee over her phone.

Staff ejected Drummond, who then took his frustration out on a man queued to enter the bar, punching the stranger in the back of the head.

When approached again by the young woman as he walked to the nearby train station, Drummond punched her in the face, knocking the 155cm woman to the ground and causing multiple injuries.

He also stomped on her phone, destroying it.

The District Court was told the offender was overcome by regret soon after, threatening to kill himself and returning home ‘hysterical’ and sorrowful.

‘He was a shattered boy,’ his mother said.

Barrister Phillip Boulten SC said the case was ‘a bit unusual’ because the 20-year-old had ‘gone off the rails’ following a difficult 2020 in which his dog died, a relationship broke down and a family member fell ill.

He also sought out psychological help for emotional issues before the incident, the court was told.

‘It’s appropriate he be given one opportunity … an exceptional one, admittedly,’ Mr Boulten said.

Drummond raised concern the convictions would impact his Working with Children’s Check, which was ‘pivotal’ to his coaching.

‘I was brought up better and I know better… I know violence isn’t the answer especially not towards women,’ he said.

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The appeal was opposed by the Crown, which said Drummond had already received a lenient sentence for serious offending involving public violence against a woman.

The judge accepted Drummond’s offending was an aberration and that it wasn’t ‘necessary’ for convictions to be recorded.

The judge left in place a conditional release order, mandating good behaviour for 14 months and told Drummond to thank his family and ‘your lucky stars’.

‘Keep your nose clean,’ the judge said.

For 24/7 support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

For any support with instances of violence or abuse call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732).

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