Pulled woman’s hair out in fight

Twenty eight year old Sinead Johnston, Drumellan Mews, Craigavon, was fined £120 for assault on October 24 and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

She was also bound over in the sum of £400 to keep the peace for 12 months.

The court heard that at 2.20am police received a report of an assault in Victoria Street, Lurgan.

They spoke to the injured party who said she had been slapped in the face by the defendant and had hair pulled out of the back of her head.

There were no injuries to her face but she had a small lump of black hair in her hand. There were scratches to her neck.

The defendant was arrested. There was a strong smell of intoxicating liquor on her breath, she was slurring her words and she was unsteady on her feet.

Johnston admitted pulling the injured party’s hair but did not realise some of it had come out. She could not recall punching or slapping the injured party.

A barrister for the defendant said it was a one off incident which would have been suitable for a caution but the injured party was adamant that a caution should not be administered.

She explained that Johnston had been at the house with a friend and had consumed a lot of alcohol. The injured party and her husband had come along and Johnston and her friend were asked to leave. That’s when the row started.

The barrister added that the defendant, who spent a night in the police cells, had apologised to the injured party before the police arrived.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said it was a drunken assault and pulling of hair from the scalp of the injured party was an aggravating feature.