Female victim was left with a bald patch after Co Armagh woman attacked her, Craigavon court hears

The 49-year-old mum pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman causing her actual bodily harm when she appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

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In the dock was Jane Jenkinson, of Old Fort Lodge, Craigavon.

On July 14 last year the complainant got a call from her brother who was “distressed” about alleged behaviour outside his property.

“She (the victim) arrived at the premises a few minutes later. She attempted to intervene asking the defendant what she wanted. The defendant was very aggressive. She (Jenkinson) was upset at allegations that she thought the brother was making, however it was immediately apparent to the complainant that the defendant was under the influence of alcohol,” said the Prosecutor.

The victim asked Jenkinson to leave, however the defendant “threw her handbag to the ground and her behaviour became erratic”.

“The victim said she felt in fear of assault and without warning grabbed her by the top of the head with both hands and a strong grip she pulled her hair so hard that she left her with a bald patch. The victim had to resort to kicking the defendant to get her off.

"She was then grabbed a second time by the defendant and the assault only ended when a member of the public walking by shouted at the defendant to stop and the complainant was able to run into the house, get her phone and phone police,” said the Prosecutor.

Jenkinson’s barrister Mr Damien Halleron said his client had accepted she assaulted the victim and used “excessive force”.

"There clearly had been in the background the complainant’s brother who had been involved in some form of verbal slanging match which this defendant took extreme issue with,” said the barrister.

"She had drink taken. She should not have gone to that man’s house, she accepts that now,” he said, pointing to the Pre-Sentence Report and highlighting his client’s “insight and remorse”.

Mr Halleron said his client is someone who “hasn’t her sorrows to seek”, citing psychological and physical issues. He added she is a carer for her child and her brother.

She ruled herself out of Community Service due to physical issues and and being unable to “commit to the extensive supervision”.

"She’s not really in a position to dictate to the court what the sentence should be anyway,” the barrister acknowledged, adding his client did have a record for violence but it was a “considerable time ago”.

Mr Halleron added his client wrote a letter of apology which she wished to send to the victim and is offering compensation.

"I accept this was a nasty incident and it left the victim with a disfigurement for a period of time,” he said, adding his client is “incredibly fearful” of custody.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan pointed out that the victim in the case spoke of how it significantly affected her, her young daughter “who was caused fear, a loss of sleep by viewing what had happened to her mummy”.

"The custody threshold has definitely passed,” he said.

He sentenced her to six months in jail suspended for 18 months, issued a Restraining Order in respect of the victim and ordered Jenkinson to pay her £400 in compensation.