Ella MacDermid, 25, attacked her godmother with a brick and vowed ‘to cave her head in’
A woman attacked her godmother with a brick and vowed ‘to cave her head in’ after they got embroiled in a feud when she set up home with her lesbian lover.
Ella MacDermid, 25, had been with her same-sex partner at a Tesco store in Padiham, Lancashire, when she bumped into 52-year-old Juliette Robinson, who was also shopping with her boyfriend.
Shoppers watched as MacDermid shouted at Miss Robinson: ‘Come on, I will have it out with you outside’ – while her partner Kayleigh Atkinson, 22, encouraged her, saying: ‘Mental b****!’
Later when Miss Robinson got home with her shopping, she was ambushed by MacDermid, who shouted: ‘I will cave your head in with this; you’re all mouth’ – and hurled a brick at her.
Miss Robinson ducked behind her VW camper van but the brick struck the vehicle, causing £576 worth of damage.
She was then grabbed by her ponytail, forced to the floor and punched by MacDermid. The victim’s boyfriend Craig Heyes tried to intervene but Atkinson began swinging a 3ft-long baseball bat, saying: ‘Come on you fat b******d.’
MacDermid then picked up the brick and the pair went off laughing. Miss Robinson received swelling to her face and had a bloodied nose. Mr Heyes escaped uninjured.
Burnley Crown Court heard Miss Robinson had been the best friend of MacDermid’s mother and had acted as the younger woman’s godmother.
Kayleigh Atkinson, pictured (left) arriving at Burnley Crown Court and (left in right photo) with her lover MacDermid, encouraged her partner during the row – saying: ‘Mental b****!’
MacDermid (left) and the victim – who live on the same street – fell out when MacDermid’s mother died last year and she set up home with Atkinson (right)
But the pair – who live on the same street – fell out when MacDermid’s mother died last year and she set up home with Atkinson.
Emma Keyhoe, prosecuting, said: ‘Ms Robinson was a good friend of MacDermid mother and became MacDermid’s godmother.
‘Whilst she was growing up there was a very positive relationship between the two but as she got older the relationship broke down.
‘When Ella’s mother died, the relationship broke down even more and there appears to have been animosity.’
The incident occurred when Miss Robinson went to her local Tesco and encountered MacDermid (left) with Atkinson (right)
Atkinson admitted possession of an offensive weapon and threatening behaviour. MacDermid admitted assault, criminal damage, threatening behaviour and offensive weapon possession
The incident occurred on April 5 when Miss Robinson went to her local Tesco and encountered MacDermid with Atkinson.
Juliette Robinson – dressed as a zombie for a promotional video in 2014 – was attacked
MacDermid was claimed to have given her godmother a ‘dirty look’ and said: ‘Come on, I will have you outside’ – but Miss Robinson told her to ‘shut up and go away’.
Miss Keyhoe added: ‘Ella started shouting and Miss Atkinson was encouraging and called her a ‘mental bitch.’
Miss Robinson was concerned that the pair would still be in the car park and so Mr Heyes went outside to check and they had indeed left, the court heard.
Miss Keyhoe said: ‘But when they arrived home the two young girls were standing on the street and she became concerned.
‘She was getting her shopping out of the car but her partner was already in confrontation with the pair and they were shouting abuse at him.
‘MacDermid had a brick in her hands in a threatening manner and the complainants were concerned for their personal safety.
‘Mr Heyes asked Ella to put the brick down but she was being jeered on by Miss Atkinson and Ella said: “I will cave your head in”.
MacDermid (right) was given 12 months in jail suspended for 15 months. She was also ordered to pay £500 compensation. Atkinson (left) received eight months jail suspended for 15 months
A neighbour intervened and told Atkinson (right) to put the bat down but MacDermid (left) was encouraging her
‘She threw the brick towards Miss Robinson who was hiding behind her vehicle and it collided with her car. Miss Robinson feared that she was going to be seriously hurt.
‘When Mr Heyes tried to intervene, he was shouted at by Miss Atkinson and she lunged towards him.
‘Miss Robinson went towards Ella trying to alleviate the situation but at this point she was grabbed by the pony tail and forced to the floor where she was punched numerous times by Miss MacDermid.
‘She was on top of Ms Robinson trying to knee her in the body. When Mr Heyes went to intervene Miss Atkinson went towards him and he had to push her away. Intervention came from a neighbour before the situation had concluded.
‘The two girls then went into their house, allowing Miss Robinson to phone the police – however, 30 seconds later the girls were back on the street, this time with Miss Atkinson carrying a metre-long baseball bat.
‘He was swinging it around in front of her and said to Mr Heyes: “Come on you fat b******d.” The same neighbour who had intervened told Miss Atkinson to put the bat down but Miss MacDermid was encouraging her.
Atkinson (left) is a chef while MacDermid (right) is a care worker – and both received suspended sentences
‘Ella picked up the brick that was used before and the pair went off laughing. Both complainants said they were frightened and fearful and that it was a relief when the police arrived.’
MacDermid, a care worker, admitted assault, criminal damage, threatening behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon and was given 12 months in jail suspended for 15 months. She was also ordered to pay £500 compensation.
Atkinson, a chef, received eight months jail suspended for 15 months after she admitted possession of an offensive weapon and using threatening behaviour.
Philip Holden, defending, said: ‘Miss MacDermid accepts that she went over the top and herself received a bloody nose and some swelling to the face.
‘There has been some history in that the complainant was very friendly with the defendant’s mother some time before her death in January 2016.
‘She lost her temper and she accepts that – but she saw red against a backdrop of animosity.
MacDermid (right, with Atkinson) ‘accepts that she went over the top and herself received a bloody nose and some swelling to the face’
‘It was a very unpleasant and ugly incident in a public place but she mentions this was following a period of hostility and she had no doubt has a problem with her temper.’
But the judge Mr Recorder Gary Woodhall said: ‘It is clear to me that for the 12 months leading up relationships were strained and there was a period of animosity.
‘The complainants were going about their lawful business of shopping when you began shouting abuse. When they returned home you must have been waiting for them on the street.
‘This was a sustained, unpleasant and threatening incident which played out on the victims’ front doorstep.
‘Mr Heyes describes how he is fearful for his family and has stopped shopping the local area in fear of you. He cannot sleep and describes the events as the most stressful experience of his life.
‘Miss Robinson said her children were left shocked and terrified and her daughter who has downs syndrome had been telling her teachers about what had happened to her parents.
‘Miss Robinson now takes medication as a result of the incident. These are serious offences of significant violence.’