A woman with 175 previous offences has been after she grabbed her friend’s hair in an “unprovoked” attack.
Melissa Ridley pleaded guilty to assault by beating on October 17 and appeared at Carlisle’s magistrates’ court today from custody via a video link.
Andrew Travis, prosecuting, told the court that Ridley went to visit a female friend in her home and that all was well before things turned sour.
Ridley, of George Terrace in Workington, grabbed her friend’s hair and punched her to the face with no provocation. She suffered a black eye and a swollen cheekbone.
The court was told Ridley had only been released from a prison sentence the day before this assault took place and that she has 175 criminal offences for 85 convictions.
The prosecutor described the attack as “unprovoked” and “persistent”.
John Smith, defending, said he disagreed that this was a prolonged assault.
Magistrates deliberated for over 20 minutes, and returning to court, told Ridley that she has a “long previous criminal record” and they agreed this was a “sustained assault”.
She was jailed for four weeks to run concurrently to the sentence she is now serving for other offences. On her release, she has to pay the victim compensation of £200 and a victim surcharge of £128.
