Mum was assaulted on Mother’s Day

A woman who attacked her de facto mother-in-law with a chair on Mother’s Day told police she was protecting herself, a court heard.

Rhiannon Weco, 26, had been visiting her partner, with whom she had an on-and-off relationship, at the victim’s address on

Mother’s Day on May 12 this year when her partner’s mother came home from shopping, according to a summary of facts given to the New Plymouth District Court.

The woman saw Weco lying on her son’s bed, which was in a separate bedroom in a building away from the house, and yelled at her to get out and leave.

She then told her son to unlock the door, approached Weco and told her to get out of her property.

The defendant swore at her and they argued, before Weco got off the bed and grabbed a chair with steel legs.

Holding up the chair, Weco ran at the victim, hitting her with the chair and knocking her to the floor, and then left.

The victim had to be helped off the floor due to a recent knee operation, and was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital for a check-up because she was complaining of a sore neck and shoulders and also had bruising on her legs.

When spoken to by police, Weco said the woman approached her and she felt she had no choice but to pick up the chair to protect herself.

On Tuesday, Weco pleaded guilty to one charge of assault with a blunt instrument.

Defence lawyer Paul Keegan said there was no real relationship to repair through restorative justice. Keegan summed up the case as Weco ‘‘had a fight with her mother-in-law and ran at her with a chair causing some bruising’’.

Judge Emma Smith told Weco she understood the tensions that were going on.

‘‘It does not detract from the fact that this is a serious charge and you used a weapon.’’

Judge Smith sentenced Weco to 100 hours of community work.