Three women who targeted a mother in a 30-minute late-night bar attack which left her partially bald behaved like a ‘pack of animals’, a court has heard.
Judge Edward Bindloss did not jail the single mothers who attacked Hollie-Louise Brown, then 23, at the Bubbles bar in Ashington, Northumberland, in September 2018.
She was first attacked by Donna Goulding, 25, with whom she had had a long-standing feud, after they bumped into each other on the dance floor, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
Chloe Cummings, 29, and Toni Tyler, 30, then joined in the attack, which started inside the premises and carried on in the street after bouncers intervened to remove them from the bar.
Chloe Cummings (left), Toni Tyler (centre) and Donna Goulding (right) avoided jail for attack on Hollie-Louise Brown, then 23, at Bubbles bar in Ashington, Northumberland, in 2018
Ms Brown, who is a beautician, lost a lot of hair which was pulled out in clumps by Goulding. She was kicked, had her finger bitten, eyes gouged and suffered bruises to her arms and face.
Andrew Finlay, prosecuting, said: ‘One witness was to comment they were disgusted at what was happening, they were like a pack of animals, kicking, punching and stamping with nothing being done by the bouncers, they were just letting them fight.’
In a victim statement, Ms Brown, who needed a CT scan after the attack, said her personality had changed and she had lost confidence since that night.
Ms Brown, who is a beautician, lost a lot of hair which was pulled out in clumps by Goulding
She also said she had to see a dermatologist over her bald patches, some of which have since grown back.
She said she suffered damage to her hair follicles and may be left with permanent baldness.
She added: ‘I have had to visit a hair loss specialist and a lot of my hair follicles are damaged.
‘I still have bald patches where the hair has failed to grow back. The follicles have been damaged beyond repair.
She said she suffered damage to her hair follicles and may be left with permanent baldness. Pictured: Ms Brown with her 10-month-old son Ollie
Ms Brown (pictured) said she suffered damage to her hair follicles and may be left with permanent baldness
‘The hair may never grow back.’
The three attackers admitted affray at a previous hearing and the prosecution offered no evidence to a charge of grievous bodily harm.
Mr Finlay told the court Ms Brown had been involved in a long-running feud with Goulding, who had a previous caution for battery on her.
He said when Ms Brown saw Goulding and pals during a night out at Bubble bar, she had thought the bad feelings were resolved.
He told the court: ‘That was not the case. At some point in Bubbles pub Goulding began to bump into Miss Brown on the dance floor, where she was talking to friends of hers.
She was kicked, eyes gouged and suffered bruises to her arms and face in the attack which lasted for 30 minutes
‘Miss Goulding also shouted at the friends. As a result, Miss Brown tried to reason with the defendant Goulding. Goulding pushed Miss Brown to the upper chest.’
The court heard during the initial trouble inside the bar, Ms Brown was attacked and felt three kicks to her face and believed at least one of them came from Tyler.
Mr Finlay said the trouble was broken up by door staff and the women ended up outside, where the violence continued, with Ms Brown being taken to the ground. She was punched, kicked and had her eyes gouged.
He added: ‘It was during this incident Miss Brown’s hair was pulled by Goulding.’
Mr Finlay said: ‘Goulding tried to strangle her, so that she couldn’t breathe. It caused scratch marks.
‘Her finger was bitten by Cummings. Tyler continued in kicking Miss Brown again, to the head and back.
Andrew Finlay QC, prosecuting, said: ‘Goulding tried to strangle her, so that she couldn’t breathe. It caused scratch marks’
‘In total the incident lasted half an hour.’
Mr Finlay said: ‘Miss Goulding started the fight, she was the one with history with Miss Brown and she was the one who pulled her hair out, which has led to the most significant, permanent harm.’
Mother-of-two Goulding, of Milburn Road, Ashington, who works as a cleaner, was handed a 13-month jail term, suspended for a year, and ordered to carry out 80 hours of unpaid community work.
Cummings, of Oswald Road, Newbiggin, who has two children, was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 80 hours of unpaid work, as was Tyler, a mother-of-two and hospital cleaner from Glenwood, Ashington.
Ms Brown had to see a dermatologist over her bald patches and said she suffered damage to her hair follicles and may be left with permanent baldness. She also had her finger bitten in the attack
The judge told them they had behaved in an appalling way, adding: ‘Given the assault and the effect, you should be doing even more hours but I have to be realistic, you are single mothers with dependent children.’
He said the three women had not been in trouble since the incident.
Jane Foley, defending Goulding, said there are a ‘raft of problems’ between the two women that have existed for years and that the ‘feud may rumble on’.
Richard Herrmann, defending Cummings, said: ‘There are often two sides to a story and often only one is told.’
John Wilkinson, defending Tyler, said: ‘This lady is a sensible, hard working person. She describes her behaviour herself as being disgusting on that night.’