ROAD RAGE MUM BEAT UP VICTIM
WOMAN DRAGGED ANOTHER MUM FROM CAR BEFORE PUNCHING HER IN THE HEAD
A woman driver beat up another mum in a road rage attack as their babies looked on. Fatima Festus, 22, went berserk after she ‘cut up’ the victim at a Manchester junction – and then blamed the other woman for nearly causing an accident. As their young children watched from inside the cars, foulmouthed Festus jumped out of her vehicle shouting: “My f***ing child is in the back of my car.’’
A WOMAN driver beat up another mum in a road rage attack as their babies looked on.
Fatima Festus, 22, went berserk after she ‘cut up’ the victim at a south Manchester junction – and then blamed the other woman for nearly causing an accident.
As their young children watched from inside the cars, foul-mouthed Festus jumped out of her vehicle shouting: ‘My f***ing child is in the back of my car.’’
She then stormed up to the victim’s BMW, dragged her out of the driver’s seat and repeatedly punched her on the head.
A friend of the victim’s, who was in the passenger seat, tried to intervene – but was punched in the stomach.
The victim suffered a black eye, cuts to her lip and bruises to her elbow, as well as swelling to the right temple of her head. She now says she is too scared to leave the house.
Festus, from Burnage, later claimed the incident was a ‘bit of a blur’ and said at the time she was scared for her child’s safety.
At Manchester magistrates court, Festus admitted common assault but escaped jail after magistrates agreed it had been a ‘spontaneous’ incident.
The incident occurred at 2.50pm on June 16 last year when both women were driving through Didsbury.
Prosecutor Marion Nolan said: “The victim was travelling with her friend in the passenger seat and her 12-month-old son in the back seat.
“As she pulled out to turn left the defendant overtook her and cut in front of her. She had to slam on the brakes as not to go into her and, as both cars stopped, the defendant got out of her car.
“As the defendant approached she shouted: ‘My f***ing child is in the back of my car!’ She then opened the victim’s car door and grabbed the top of her head and dragged her out of the car.
“She then punched the victim to the head and face. She says it happened so quickly that the complainant can’t remember if she retaliated. “The victim sustained swelling to her right temple, swelling and bruising to her right eye, a lump on her head, a small cut to the lip, a bruise on her elbow and a cut to her other elbow. “She has been suffering since the attack and says she is too scared to leave the house. “During the attack, her friend who was in the passenger seat had to step out of the car and try to help her friend, and in doing so received a blow to the stomach.’’ But in mitigation defence lawyer Robert Moussalli said: “This is extremely out of character for this defendant. Clearly, none of what I say excuses this and Fatima knows that and deeply regrets everything that happened that day. “She says she was driving along with her six-monthold child in the back when the victim pulled out in front of her. It was her first born and she felt very protective over the
You subjected this woman to a sustained attack and the ordeal must have been scary Simon Morrell, chairman of the bench
safety of her young child. She says she didn’t really think about what she was going to do and had no idea what she was thinking of. She remembers opening the car door and shouting and after that it became a bit of a blur.
“She can’t explain why she did it, just that she was scared something might have happened to her young baby. She has been very upset about the whole thing and is currently four months pregnant.
“She wishes she had acted in a different way.”
Festus was sentenced to a 12-month community order and was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
She was also ordered to pay the victim £200 and pay £235 in costs and surcharges.
Chairman of the bench Simon Morrell told her: “This was a road rage incident, plain and simple and it was super dangerous. Not only was there a child in the other car but there was also a young child in your car.
“You subjected this woman to a sustained attack and the ordeal must have been scary for her. The only mitigating factor is your remorse and the fact that this was a spontaneous attack.”