Drumaness women condemned for attack on mum in her home

Drumaness women condemned for attack on mum in her home

25 April 2012

A JUDGE has condemned four Drumaness women who carried out a sustained and premeditated attack on a young mother.

The women were branded a “disgrace” by deputy district judge Gerry Trainor who said had the attack been carried out by four men, they would have been going to prison.

Appearing at Downpatrick Magistrates’ Court on Friday were mother and daughter Siobhan and Louise Campbell, Tanya Rogan and Nusheen Khalili.

A prosecution barrister explained the injured woman had been in her home in the early hours of May 28 last year when the defendants arrived at her house.

The four women pushed into the house and into the kitchen with Siobhan Campbell (43), of Harmony Park, initiating the attack.

After pushing the mother-of-two, Siobhan Campbell pulled her by the hair before her 25 year-old daughter Louise Campbell, who lives at Crawfordstown Road, also pulled the woman’s hair before punching her body several times.

The court heard that as the blows were inflicted the attack victim’s head banged off a kitchen unit.

At this stage Nusheen Khalili (25), of Old Park Road, became involved in the group assault, kicking and punching the woman.

Twenty-three year-old Tanya Rogan, with an address at Shanvally Way, then punched the victim’s head, face and body.

The woman ended up lying on her kitchen floor trying to protect herself as she was repeatedly kicked to her back and front.

Mr Trainor was also told that the assault victim attempted to phone the police at the start of the attack but she was unable to speak. However the emergency operator was able to tell that a disturbance was taking place.

The woman was admitted to hospital with a suspected broken cheekbone although this was subsequently ruled out. She had sustained bruising to her spine, shoulders and back and cuts and bruising to her face.

The defendants were arrested within hours of the attack and during police interviews denied having any involvement.

However on her way to the police station for interview, Siobhan Campbell made what was described in court as “a significant statement,” that she had gone to the woman’s house to “slap her around.”

A barrister for Louise Campbell, who is a mother-of-one, said she acted out of character while her mother’s legal representative said she accepted “that because of alcohol she made a foolish decision.”

Tanya Rogan’s barrister told the court “it was not her fight” and that the mother-of-three “got caught up in the emotion” of what he said was “a joint enterprise.”

Khalili’s barrister said the single mother was “upset her name has been tarnished.”

Mr. Trainor said the defendants had “concocted in their minds some theory” about their victim, who according to them they barely knew, or did not know at all.

“Here we have four females who up until now lived relatively blameless lives,” he said.

“The essence of the facts is that you carried out an attack on a girl who was essentially defenceless.

“The attack you carried out was premeditated. You sat and planned and conspired together. This was not a row on the street — this was a sustained attack on this girl over a period of time.”

He continued: “The four of you acted together. If it was four men who carried this out, it would be almost inevitable that you would be going to prison, but for some reason your gender is being almost used as a shield to protect you from going to prison.

“This was nothing short of gratuitous violence. You are a disgrace to yourselves. You are criminals and now have convictions. My concern is that you are going to leave here today and do this again.

I want you to remember that this court is so very appalled by your actions and your behaviour that night. You are a disgrace. Would you like it done to you or your children? I think not,” he added.

Each of the defendants was bound over to keep the peace for 12 months and received 12-month restraining orders.

They must also each pay their victim £100 in compensation.