Sisters set upon woman being sick in town street
IN ‘SUSTAINED ASSAULT’ THEY REPEATEDLY KICKED VICTIM
TWO sisters drunkenly attacked a woman in the street.
The assailants, both mothers of three, were said to be shocked and disgusted when shown footage of the incident, in Swan Street, Loughborough.
Leicester Crown Court was told the victim was out with friends and her husband when she became unwell and went outside the Bell Foundry pub with a female friend, in February last year.
Tom Welshman, prosecuting, said the victim threw up and the defendants, Donna Phillips and Rachael Wilkinson, who were walking past, made disparaging comments including “look at the state of that”, followed by insults about her size and hair.
The victim swore at them, resulting in the defendants attacking her, despite a man at the scene trying to intervene.
The prosecutor said the victim “robustly” attempted to defend herself, but ended up on the ground with 34-year-old Phillips kneeling on her.
He said: “It was a sustained assault involving multiple kicks.”
The victim was taken to hospital with bleeding and bruising to her eyes and nose, a bruised left thigh and knee and injuries to her right elbow.
In her police interview, when shown CCTV footage, Wilkinson, 37, said she could not believe she acted in that way and her behaviour was “inexcusable”.
Phillips said she was protecting her sister but felt “horrible” watching the recording.
Wilkinson, of Starling Close, Shepshed, and Phillips, of no fixed address, both admitted causing actual bodily harm.
The victim did not wish to provide a personal impact statement.
Judge Ebrahim Mooncey said: “If you’re out for an evening and not feeling well and are set upon by two people who are completely out of control, I can see how upset she would be and fearful.”
Of the defendants, he said both “have had issues in their past and have been resilient enough to overcome that”. He said: “They acknowledge they did wrong and are remorseful.”
Sentencing, Judge Mooncey described the assault as “the kind of behaviour that can’t be tolerated, of the kind we normally see in a murder or an attempted murder case”.
However, he said: “I’ve seen photographs of the injuries and, relatively speaking, they aren’t the worst.
James Armstrong-Holmes, mitigating for Phillips, said: “She feels deeply ashamed and disgusted by what’s she’s done.”
Phillips is not living with her children and was described by her barrister as “sofa surfing”.
Mr Armstrong-Holmes said: “Her sister became involved first and she went to her support when she shouldn’t have.”
He said the two sisters had endured a “difficult upbringing” and were “very close”.
Nathan Palmer, mitigating for Wilkinson, said: “She had not been on a night out involving alcohol for two years and the incident was an aberration in her life, wholly out of character. She’s expressed horror, genuine remorse and an acceptance her behaviour was inexcusable.”
Both women were given 10-month jail sentences, suspended for 18 months, each with a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Wilkinson was ordered to pay £300 towards court costs.
Phillips was said to have insufficient funds.