She ‘shoulder barged’ the victim before viciously punching her and pulling out clumps of her hair, a court heard
Colette Bielby, pictured outside Hull Crown Court(Image: Hull Live)
A drunken woman with a history of violence attacked a “terrified” teenage girl during a “persistent” and “entirely inexcusable” moment of “madness” in a bar after midnight. Mother-of-two Colette Bielby “shoulder barged” the girl before viciously punching her in the face and pulling out clumps of her hair during the nasty confrontation, Hull Crown Court heard.
Bielby, 39, of Trinity Road, Hornsea, admitted assaulting the girl, causing actual bodily harm, and another offence of assaulting her on November 22. She also admitted assaulting a man during the later stages of the incident.
Recorder Abdul Iqbal KC said that Bielby was in a restaurant and cocktail bar in Hornsea at 12.36am and she was seemingly drunk. She spoke with a group of males and “tried to interact” with the boyfriend of the 17-year-old girl.
Bielby was “grinding against” him, the court heard. She became “aggressive and violent” towards the girl and “shoulder barged” her towards the bar “with some force”.
The girl tried to defend herself but Bielby punched her several times, causing her nose to bleed, and grabbed her hair, causing her to stumble backwards and start crying.
Recorder Iqbal told Bielby: “She tried to push you away. When you eventually did let go of her hair, it seems that you had pulled some clumps of it away from her scalp. It seems that wasn’t enough for you.”
Bielby was escorted outside by a man. The girl and her friends were outside and she was sitting on a bench by then. Bielby shouted across to the girl and her group.
“Outside, you approached her again while she was minding her own business and no threat to you,” said Recorder Iqbal. Bielby provoked the girl, approached her and punched her in the face, causing pain and swelling.
“These were mean offences, sustained offences, against a girl,” said Recorder Iqbal. “It was a persistent assault and she was particularly vulnerable because of her age, especially compared to yours.”
When the man tried to intervene and pull Bielby away, she punched him. “You were drunk when you committed these offences,” said Recorder Iqbal. The girl later said that, at the time of the attack, she “felt terrified and scared” and she was “overwhelmed by shock”.
She was left anxious and worried to go outside. “It has affected my mental wellbeing,” she said. The assault had caused her “trauma” and it had a lasting impact on her.
Bielby had convictions for 26 previous offences, including eight of assaulted-related matters and a “substantial history” of making threats. She had been given a conditional caution in April this year for causing criminal damage and having an item for threats.
“You have a history of using violence when it suits your purposes,” said Recorder Iqbal. “The way you behaved, as you now accept, was entirely inexcusable.”
Amber Hobson, mitigating, said that Bielby had an “unhappy record of violence” but she made frank admissions to the police. “She held her hands up at an early stage,” said Miss Hobson.
“This defendant is wracked with remorse. She has been inconsolable, having heard the devastation that her actions have wreaked.
“Her remorse is genuine. It’s sincere and it’s heartfelt. She wants to apologise sincerely and truly for her actions. She understands that her actions have had consequences.
“Her foolish moment of what can only be described as ‘madness’ has led to serious consequences. She doesn’t often drink alcohol and she isn’t drinking alcohol at the moment.” Bielby wanted to “ensure that there was no repetition of her behaviour ever again”. She had two children and was working, with three jobs.
Bielby was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, 100 hours’ unpaid work and 20 days’ rehabilitation. She was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to the girl, £150 costs and a £187 victims’ surcharge. She was given a five-year restraining order.
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