A furious mum launched an attack on a woman at a nightclub after she playfully “bopped” her son on the head with an inflatable toy.
Carla Bratkowski, 38, shoved Amelia Wood in the face during a heated argument at 4am.
Inflatable musical instruments were being distributed around the Platinum Bar on Conway Street, Birkenhead, and Ms Wood picked up one of the toys and lightly “bopped her friend on the head in a playful manner”.
That friend was the son of Bratkowski – and the mum-of-six, from began “screaming, shouting, and behaving in an aggressive manner”.
Appearing at Wirral Magistrates Court yesterday, January 8, she admitted assaulting Ms Wood by pushing her face during the blazing row on June 30 last year.
Prosecutor Robert Earl stated: “Ms Wood has been diagnosed with autism and selective mutism, which means she finds certain environments and situations quite uncomfortable and finds it difficult to communicate. She did talk about the effect of the attack in the presence of an appropriate adult.”
“She said: ‘The assault has left me feeling extremely anxious. I don’t even want to go to Birkenhead for fear it might happen again’.”, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Mr Earl added that Bratkowski had nine previous convictions including battery and theft.
Kirsty Ruddin, representing the accused, shared with the court: “The defendant has ADHD. This aggressive behaviour was to due her lack of medication she was taking at the time. It was not the defendant’s fault she was not able to get her medication; there was a national shortage at the time.
“The complainant had come into her face, had been filming her, had been goading her, and she reacted aggressively. She accepts this was foolish. She was in drink and she was not on medication for ADHD.”
“She pushed the complainant, making contact with the left side of her face. She has shown remorse by admitting this at the first opportunity. She has accepted what she did was wrong.”
After leaving the club following the assault, Ms Wood encountered more violence in a separate clash while waiting for a taxi. She got entangled in an argument with Emma Davis, 20, who then attacked her, pulling her hair and dragging her down, resulting in injuries.
Emma Davis, having no prior offences, admitted guilt to the charge of assault in Wirral Magistrates Court.
Martin Saxon, who spoke in Davis’ defence, asserted that Davis reacted after Ms Wood ridiculed her friend’s short stature. He explained: “She has felt protective of her friend. She has gone over and pulled (Ms Wood’s) hair and pulled her to the floor. It was simply a reaction to something which was happening at the time. She has never been in trouble before, and pleaded guilty at the first opportunity.”
Both Bratkowski and Davis, from King’s Drive, Birkenhead, were handed 12-month community orders, required to complete 20 rehabilitation days, and slapped with a £120 fine. Additionally, Bratkowski was ordered to pay £100 in compensation to Ms Wood, while Davis was told to cough up £200.
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