A woman repeatedly punched a mum in the face in front of her son and other children in a horrifying unprovoked attack outside a Gateshead primary school.
Beverley Hay, 47, hit her victim three times as she dropped the youngster off for afternoon lessons at St Oswald’s in Easington Avenue, Wrekenton.
Hay, who lives in the same street, also grabbed her shocked victim’s clothing, tearing the hood off her top.
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She had to be pulled away by two women and taken back to her home, magistrates in South Tyneside heard.
The 1pm assault on Tuesday, September 14, left the victim with a knocked out denture but no lasting physical injury.
Prosecutor Niamh Reading said: “The victim would state that she was dropping her son off at school when she heard footsteps.
“She saw a female who she had known for around five years. The female shouted, ‘Are you looking at me?’
“(The victim) said, ‘No, I’m just looking around the road, as I heard footsteps’.
“The defendant then said, ‘Do you have a problem with me?’ the victim replied, ‘No, I think it’s you that has a problem with me’.”
The court heard Hay then swore at her victim, leading the boy to reply, “I’m going to go and tell my teacher, you’re not allowed to say that word.”
Ms Reading said Hay then moved towards the victim, adding: “She punched her in the face and head two or three times.
“She then got hold of her jacket and pulled the hood off. (The victim) had her denture punched out.
“(The victim) says the defendant was then taken back across the road to her house by two women.”
In a victim statement read to the court, she said: “The incident has left me feeling shocked as it has come from nowhere.
“I feel quite embarrassed for her to do something like that in front of young children and parents.”
Hay, who pleaded guilty to assault, attacked just days after she was given a community order by a court for breaching a non-molestation order.
John Williams, defending, said: “My understanding is that there’s a significant level of alcohol dependency.
“She has accessed some voluntary help. I think perhaps her alcohol dependency is getting out of control. Alcohol was involved on this occasion.”
Magistrates ordered a report into Hay’s offending. She will be sentenced at the same court on Tuesday, February 8.
