Court hears pupils fell out after diagnosis

“Over-the-top self-defence” was how Robinson’s solicitor described the assault when she appeared at Canterbury Crown Court last week.

The court heard a row between two schoolgirls ended with the Ashford mum punching the 15-year-old, leaving her needing surgery for a broken nose.

The youngsters had fallen out after claims one had made unkind comments to the other after she was diagnosed with cancer.

The judge heard Robinson, who attacked the teenager in Hythe Road, walked up to her victim and said: “Do you think it’s f****** funny to hit my daughter who has cancer? This is how you throw a punch.”

After hitting her victim, Robinson went straight to Ashford police station and reported her actions – despite there being no official complaint at that time.

She told officers the victim had shouted at her daughter: “Ain’t you dead yet?”

Prosecutor Trevor Wright said: “At the time of the offence the cancer was in remission and she and the victim had at one time been friends, but that relationship had broken down.”

He said in March last year the victim and her friends were walking in the street when they saw Robinson walking with her children and decided to cross the road.

Robinson then shouted at the schoolgirl for hitting her daughter.

The victim denied the assault but Robinson replied “that’s b******t” and struck her twice in the face.

Robinson alleged t he schoolgirl had grabbed her hair first, forcing her head down and she had lashed out twice, but regretted her actions and was now remorseful.

The victim was later questioned as she received treatment for her broken nose at the William Harvey Hospital. She denied starting the incident.

Mr Wright said the girl is still suffering from her injury and will have to wait until she is 18 before she can receive corrective rhinoplasty surgery to her nose.

James Keeley, defending, said Robinson had suffered mentally because of the cancer threat to her daughter.

Judge Nigel Van der Bijl told Robinson: “This is a serious incident and somebody may be left with a permanent injury but at least you went straight to the police and admitted what you had done.”