Ballymena court told 32-year-old pulled woman's hair outside shop
A 32-year-old pulled a woman's hair outside a shop.
Wendy Todd had also committed a number of shoplifting incidents. The defendant had different addresses on charge sheets including Rathglynn in Antrim town and Lanntara and Carnduff Drive in Ballymena.
She appeared at Ballymena Magistrates Court via video link from prison. On August 11 last year a woman was assaulted by the defendant in the car park of Centra at Belfast Road in Antrim town.
There was a "verbal altercation" about an allegation that the defendant had previously stolen the woman's mobile phone and as the woman walked towards a vehicle, Todd followed and "pulled her by the hair from behind". The woman had a "sore scalp".
On February 24 this year Todd took toiletries worth £25 from Sainsbury's in Ballymena and on March 13 she took beauty goods and clothes worth £116 from Poundland at Braidwater Retail Park in Ballymena.
On March 26 she took food clothing and make-up from another Poundland - this time in Ballymena's Tower Centre - and on July 22 she stole alcohol worth £148 from Tesco in Ballymena.
A defence barrister said there was "an element of provocation" but Todd accepted assaulting the other woman.
Regarding the thefts, he said the defendant had "fallen on hard times" and had turned to theft "in order to feed herself".
He said she had "addiction issues in the past". He said Todd had been "sofa surfing" after a family member's home was "burnt out".
The defendant was given a four months prison term, suspended for two years. She was ordered to pay compensation for the stolen goods.