York woman may lose job after admitting assaulting teens

Victoria Brighton, 43, was involved in a street incident with the two children after she was sent a message that people may be trying to break into the relative’s house, York Magistrates’ Court heard.

Defence solicitor Byron Chatzis alleged: “Leading up to this day, there had been a number of other incidents of harassment and threats and similar.”

He claimed the emergency services had been sent to the property more than once following the incident up to January this year.

He also claimed the children assaulted by Brighton had been interviewed by the police and the CPS had decided that they should not be prosecuted.

After viewing CCTV of the incident involving Brighton on July 6, deputy district judge Clare Walsh said: “Whatever you or anyone may think of their behaviour, these two individuals very much look like children.

“You didn’t take into account their age, their physical stature or their level of development when you, as an adult, confronted them on that day.”

She added: “I can understand to some degree why your reaction against these two young people was so strong, given what you had been told.”

She gave Brighton, of The Wandle, Chapelfields, a 12-month community order with a four-week nightly curfew, 10 days’ rehabilitative activities, fined her £200 and ordered her to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 statutory surcharge.

She also made her subject to a two-year restraining order banning her from any contact with the two teenagers.

Brighton pleaded guilty to two charges of assault on the basis she grabbed a girl by the hair and that her action “may have caused her hair to fall out” and that her arm recklessly connected with the other teenager  during the incident with the girl and that “possibly caused him to fall back”.

The girl suffered the loss of a clump of hair and the boy suffered pain but no visible injury, York magistrates heard.

Mr Chatzis said Brighton may lose her job as a result of the incident.

“This appears to be out of character,” he said. Brighton had no previous convictions.

She regretted her actions and the decision she made on that day when she could have walked away from the incident.

At the time, she was subject to a number of stresses including the deaths of two people close to her, said the defence solicitor.

Police had been informed both of the potential break-in and another incident involving a relative of Brighton’s but had said they couldn’t attend immediately.