Lollipop man broke up woman's attack on school-run mum, court is told

Linda Jenkins admitted at Leeds Crown Court this week a charge of causing grievous bodily harm after the violent altercation on a Pontefract street.

Prosecuting, Jade Edwards told the court that 45-year-old Jenkins had been friends with the victim but they had a falling out over a family dispute.

However, Miss Edwards said the pair had been civil for the sake of each other's children and that they would see other frequently on the school run.

But on the morning of May 2, 2019, the victim had been making breakfast for her children when she noticed Jenkins through the window who was shouting at her, claiming the woman's friend's son had attacked her son.

Jenkins told the woman that she "going to get it".

When the victim set off on the school run, she noticed Jenkins on the other side of the road who shouted at her again, saying she was going to wait for her.

The worried victim was able to drop off her children, but noticed Jenkins again as she made her way home.

Jenkins walked up to her in an aggressive manner near the corner of Western Avenue and Harefield Road, grabbed her glasses off her face and threw them in a garden before punching her in the face.

She then grabbed her hair and continued punching her.

A local school lollipop man had heard the commotion so got on his bicycle to reach them before forcing them apart.

Miss Edwards said Jenkins had posted on Facebook that morning that she was angry and was intent on causing violence.

The victim had hair ripped out, suffered a bruised lip and a fracture to the joint in her jaw.

She was put on a liquid diet for four weeks and needed a brace fitting.

The court was told that the attack had left her anxious, she had lost sleep because of the pain to her jaw and now avoided the school run as much as possible.

Jenkins, of Willow Park, Pontefract, has five previous conviction for eight offences, including an assault in 2007 and criminal damage from February of last year.

Jenkins had initially admitted a charge of actual bodily harm, but accepted the more serious charge of grievous bodily harm when the extent of the victim's injuries came to light.

Mitigating, Christopher Morton, said Jenkins had been the victim of domestic abuse in the past.

Judge Christopher Batty told her that her own violent tendencies stemmed from her "overzealous approach" to protecting her children.

He added: "I can see the shame on your face for what you did that morning on the school run.

"There's elements of premeditation because you were making threats on Facebook that morning."

He handed her a 12-month jail term, suspended for 18 months, and gave her a restraining order of indeterminate length to keep her away from the victim.