Shoplifter punched staff in the face
A THIEF who previously abandoned her two dogs in a squalid house filled with urine and faeces was back in trouble after attacking supermarket staff.
Lindsay Tweddle was given a suspended sentence in 2018 after animal welfare officers discovered the shih tzus in her filthy property, in Blyth. A court heard on that occasion that the premises hadn’t been lived in by humans for weeks and was covered with urine, faeces, rubbish and clutter.
The pets’ only source of a drink was a bucket containing “foul, brown water”, while their only food was “stale” cat biscuits, prosecutors said at the time.
Both dogs were seized and were found to have severely matted fur, to be underweight, dehydrated and infested with fleas.
Despite being given a suspended sentence after admitting two charges of failing to ensure an animal’s needs were met, Tweddle has since wracked-up a conviction for possessing a knife.
And the 42-year-old, formerly of Blyth but now living at Lily Avenue, Bedlington, found herself back in the dock at South East Northumberland Magistrates’ Court after she attacked two staff members at Farm Foods, in Blyth, when they tried to stop her from stealing goods. She pleaded guilty to two counts of assault by beating and one of shop theft.
Prosecutor, Rebecca Slade, said one of the supermarket’s workers saw Tweddle attempting to leave with a basket full of household products, which hadn’t been paid for, on the afternoon of August 2.
Miss Slade continued: “When [the worker] attempted to obtain the goods, the defendant punched her to the left side of her face next to her mouth. [The worker] did punch the defendant back out of self-defence. Another worker is the second complainant.
“He also saw the defendant attempting to take goods from the store. He put himself in a position near the defendant. She continued to be aggressive. The defendant punched him with both hands to the chest and neck area. He believes she was aiming for his face but he turned his head.”
The court heard Tweddle, who has 17 offences on her record and was on a community order for possessing a knife at the time, then tried to kick the male victim before he pushed her away.
Stewart Hay, defending, said Tweddle suffered from mental health problems and hadn’t been taking her medication.
Giving Tweddle a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and ordering her to pay £50 in compensation to each victim, chairing magistrate, Keith Mcintosh, said she was being given ‘one last chance.’