Thug who turned back on judge avoids jail for OAP attack Teen previously locked up for courtroom insult
A TEENAGER imprisoned by a judge for turning her back on him has avoided a jail sentence for attacking a pensioner.
Xena Randell, from Walsall, was remanded in custody for her show of petulance at Warwick Crown Court earlier this year.
She had earlier admitted attacking 70-year-old Marion Ryan on a day trip to Wellesbourne market in Warwickshire. The judge decided to delay sentencing – but she turned her back on him and was remanded.
The 19-year-old, of Burrowes was freed four days later.
Now she has been handed a 12-month community order, with 80 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity for 30 days to address her anger management.
Judge Anthony Potter said Street, it seemed she had been motivated to try to get a job and had made efforts to enrol on a college course.
He told her: “You are trying to make changes in your life, and I am impressed by that.”
But he warned Randell: “I’ll remember you. If you do breach this, you know you’re not likely to receive a particularly sympathetic hearing.”
He said her brief period in custody and the surrounding publicity had been a “salutary lesson”, adding: “I hope I never see you again, and I’m sure the feeling is entirely mutual.”
During the original hearing it was said that Randell’s grandfather and her victim, who suffers from osteoporosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, belonged to a group which regularly organised coach trips.
In August last year Randell and her mother accompanied her grandfather on an outing to Warwickshire, to visit Wellesbourne market and then Stratford-uponAvon.
But at the market Randell went off shopping with her mother, leaving her grandfather and Miss Ryan together, and returned later than expected, said prosecutor Caroline Harris.
“The complainant called the defendant a ‘selfish cow’ for being away so long, and the defendant pushed her with some force.
“It caused her to fall to the ground, landing on her bottom and striking her head.”
A retired nurse went to her aid, and the trip continued with the pensioner in fear that Randell would approach her again.
Miss Ryan had sore ribs result of the push, and it became apparent she had a ture to her pelvis.
But Miss Harris said it was ‘not possible to prove to the criminal standard’ that had been caused by Randell pushing her over.
After her arrest, Randell said she pushed the pensioner ‘because she was in my space,’ claiming she was not generally a violent person, ‘but will react violently when threatened.’
But the court heard she had no fewer than 13 convictions for 49 offences, mostly for violence, and as a later frac- at the time was subject to a suspended sentence for assaulting a police officer.
Turaj Hodge, defending, said “She felt under threat from Miss Ryan who accepts she called her a selfish cow, and in response Miss Randell pushed her because of a perceived threat.”
Miss Hodge added: “She says she is more than willing to address her anger management issues, and she has shown remorse.”
Judge Potter had told Randell in May: “In my judgment you are a bully, and you have relied on other people’s concern as justification for your response to other people in an aggressive manner.
“I have no doubt that lady was smaller than you, and you intimidated her as much by your presence as by your actions.”