Published at 15:46, Wednesday, 03 February 2010

AN Egremont woman narrowly escaped a jail sentence after a district judge deemed her behaviour “the most appalling imaginable’’.

Dawn Margaret Williamson, 43, of Brisco Mount, admitted common assault on teenager Emma Allen who was seven-and-a-half months pregnant at the time of the attack.

The defendant was given a 100-day jail sentence suspended for 12 months and ordered to comply with a 12-week curfew from 7pm-7am. Williamson was also ordered to pay Miss Allen £200 compensation with £100 costs.

Whitehaven Magistrates Court heard how the defendant had threatened the victim, threw glasses at her while in The Wheatsheaf pub, Egremont, and had eventually grabbed Miss Allen by the hair, pulling out her extensions.

Ian Nancollis, for Williamson, said the defendant, who was under strain caring for her bed-ridden father, had a history of “ill-feeling’’ with the victim’s family.

Sentencing her, District Judge Gerald Chalk said the defendant had avoided jail due to her role of carer for her father, however her behaviour which had “humiliated’’ Miss Allen was “appalling”.

Published by http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk