Woman repeatedly smashed friend’s head against wall before robbing her

DRUG USER TOOK CASH FROM VICTIM’S POCKET

A WOMAN grabbed her friend by her ponytail and used all her force to pull her head back and repeatedly smash it against a wall.

Debbie Royle had been with the victim on July 21 when she visited the post office in Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green.

Royle’s pal withdrew cash in £20 notes from the machine and they walked off together, Nottingham Crown Court heard.

When the woman stopped to talk to a friend, Royle disappeared and then suddenly jumped out from behind a parked car.

Royle punched her to the right side of her face and she was “immediately scared”, explained prosecutor Tony Stanford.

As she tried to run away, the woman tripped on the kerb and lost her balance.

Royle, 39, of Gregory Boulevard, grabbed her hard by her ponytail.

“This defendant used all her force to hold her head back and smash her head against a wall four times,” said Mr Stanford.

Royle took the money out of her friend’s top pocket. Afterwards, the woman needed six stitches to a twoinch cut and had pain in her face and head for several days, as well as trouble sleeping. “She says she is constantly thinking about the incident and how scary it was,” added Mr Stanford.

The cash was the only money she had in her account for food and other items.

The court heard Royle was on a 12-month community order at the time and she admitted committing the robbery when she was subject to it.

Judge Stuart Rafferty QC imposed a concurrent sentence of six months for the breach of the order and twoand-a-half years in prison for the robbery, which she had pleaded guilty to.

Matthew Smith, mitigating for Royle, who appeared on a video link from HMP Foston

Hall, Derbyshire, said Royle had found herself in a desperate situation owing money for drugs.

She is now on a methadone prescription.

“She accepts in the presentence report there is no excuse for behaving in the way she did,” added Mr Smith.

He said at the moment she reports “she is in a good place now” and “the best place she has been in for a long time”.

This defendant used all her force to hold her head back and smash her head against a wall four times. Tony Stanford