An intoxicated woman punched a blameless shopper twice in the face after falsely accusing her of racially abusing her children on Facebook. She also pulled the woman's hair and stamped on her glasses.
Chloe Wilson, 28, attacked Kirstie Stokes as she walked out of a Cardiff shop on October 6, 2020, in Clifton Street, Adamsdown. She said she thought she recognised the woman as someone who had made disparaging comments about her children on social media.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Monday heard Ms Stokes was surprised and denied making the comments but Wilson punched her to the face and gripped her hair. While this was happening another person tried to grab the victim's bag and her purse was taken.
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Prosecutor Paul Hewitt said CCTV inquiries were made and officers identified Wilson as the attacker. She was subsequently arrested and made full admissions in her interview to assaulting Ms Stokes and damaging her glasses. The defendant, of Romilly Road, Canton, pleaded guilty to common assault and criminal damage. The court heard she had three previous convictions including theft.
Defence barrister William Bebb said his client was suffering with her mental health at the time of the offence and has no contact with her children. When she committed the assault she was drunk and had been taking non-prescription Valium. He said the defendant was trying to turn her life around and was beginning a trial shift at a coffee shop as a barista.
Sentencing, Recorder Andrew Hammond said: "This appears to be an impulsive and relatively short attack." Wilson was sentenced to a community order and was ordered to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement as well as pay £85 in court costs.
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