There had been a series of problems between two groups of people
Long-running tensions and bad blood between two rival groups turned violent when an angry mother-of-two suddenly lashed out at another woman with a bat and hit her on the back of her head with it. Emotions were running high after a series of problems between the two sides and the victim had earlier been warned in a menacing message: “Come round. You’ll get smacked round the head with a bat.”
The threat of violence came true and the victim later suffered symptoms of concussion, Hull Crown Court heard. Cherralyn Roberts, 27, of Cloeberry Way, Hedon, admitted assaulting the woman, causing actual bodily harm, and having a bat as an offensive weapon on April 27 last year. She pleaded guilty on the day of a scheduled trial.
Cathy Kioko-Gilligan, prosecuting, said that there were two groups of people involved in the background to the confrontation and there had been issues between them in the past. Text messages were exchanged between Roberts and another woman.
Roberts sent a message to the other woman saying: “Come round. You’ll get smacked round the head with a bat.” There were laughing emojis on the message.
There was a telephone conversation between the boyfriend of Roberts and a man in the other group. A van arrived at the home of Roberts and her boyfriend and there was a confrontation.
The woman’s group later got back into the van and it was driven away. The boyfriend of Roberts sent a further message saying that all was well and that he wanted them to return. They did so.
“There was a further incident of violence between all the parties,” said Miss Kioko-Gilligan. “There was serious disorder.” Those who were on the scene were “fighting” and the woman tried to intervene and moved around the vehicle.
“The Crown’s case is that she was struck to the back of the head with a bat,” said Miss Kioko-Gilligan. “She turned round to see the defendant. There was a brief verbal exchange between them.”
Roberts tried to strike the other woman again but the victim put out her hand and her forearm was hit, causing bruising. The woman went to Hull Royal Infirmary the next day.
She had a CT scan and was discharged but returned on May 1 last year. She felt “quite unwell” with symptoms of post-concussion syndrome.
Roberts later admitted that she had a bat but she denied that she used it in any way and denied assaulting the woman. She had no previous convictions.
Jazmine Lee, mitigating, said that Roberts pleaded guilty and she now accepted her role in the trouble. “She very much does not want to find herself in this position again,” said Miss Lee.
“It’s very unfortunate that she is in this position.” The other people involved in the disturbances “live just round the corner” from her. Emotions were running high in her family. “Nobody else has been charged,” said Miss Lee.
Roberts had never been in trouble before. She had two children aged 11 and six and she did not work.
Roberts was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence, with no requirements, and an 18-month restraining order. Judge Tahir Khan KC told her: “For the next 12 months, you must be of good behaviour. If you commit another offence, you may find yourself being brought back to court and being punished in some other way.”