WOMAN STAMPED ON VICTIM IN PARK WHILE FRIEND WAVED A KNIFE ABOUT
Attack took place in broad daylight as children played nearby
A WOMAN launched a vicious attack on a couple in a Stoke-ontrent park as children played nearby.
Sonia Shakeel, aged 30, assaulted a woman in Hanley’s Central Forest Park before returning for a second time and kicking and stamping on her as she lay on the ground.
Her friend, 36-year-old Nizar Ramazan, produced a knife during the disturbance on a warm summer’s evening.
Now Shakeel has been jailed for 35 weeks and Ramazan was locked up for 32 weeks at Stoke-on-trent Crown Court.
Prosecutor John Oates said Shakeel approached her victims, a man and woman, in Central Forest Park, Hanley, on the evening of June 21 last year.
Mr Oates said: “She was aggressive in her behaviour towards them. She threw some lemonade and then spat in the face of the man.
“The woman tried to intervene but she was punched to the face and had her hair pulled.
“She punched Shakeel back and the defendant then walked away.
“But a few minutes later Shakeel returned with another woman. She attacked the woman, who went to the floor and was kicked and stamped on. The victim has no recollection of what happened after that until she was picked up off the floor.
“She suffered bruising to her face and attended the Royal Stoke University Hospital. She had bruising and swelling to both eyes and a laceration to her lip of 1cm.
“Her partner tried to help her but was prevented from doing so by
Ramazan who had a knife from his car parked nearby. He was waving the knife around in a slashing movement.”
Shakeel, of Rushton Road, Cobridge, and Ramazan, of St Ann Walk, Hanley, pleaded guilty to affray.
Abdul Shakoor, representing Shakeel, conceded she has previous offences of violence and drunken behaviour on her record but said she has taken steps since her arrest to address her issues and has not had a drink for three months.
He said: “She wishes to move on with her life and is motivated to ensure she does not appear back before the court again.”
Paul Cliff, mitigating for
Ramazan, suspects his client became involved through a sense of misguided loyalty.
He said the defendant is remorseful and regrets the concern he caused others on the park.
Judge Paul Glenn said: “This was a very unpleasant incident in a public park in broad daylight, on a summer’s evening when children were about, a playground close by.
“You, Sonia Shakeel, were the instigator. You approached the woman and her partner and were verbally and physically aggressive. You threw a drink in the man’s face. You spat at him. You punched her to the face and pulled her hair. When that was broken up you came back for round two and subjected her to a further assault which included kicking and stamping.
“Ramazan, you got involved, in serious fashion, because you produced a craft knife from your car. You waved it in an aggressive way towards the man.
“When you produce weapons it puts these incidents into a completely different level. It is so serious only custody is appropriate.”
The judge ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the knife.