BOXER WHO HEADBUTTED AND PUNCHED GIRLFRIEND OUTSIDE PUB SPARED JAIL
A BOXER headbutted and punched her girlfriend outside a Warrington pub – but she has been spared being sent to prison.Charlotte Powell was also caught with a knife following the incident, and she was behind the wheel, having previously been banned from driving.
The 26-year-old was subsequently charged with assault by beating, possessing an offensive weapon in public, driving while disqualified, and driving without third-party insurance.
She pleaded guilty to each offence at a previous hearing, before appearing back before Warrington Magistrates’ Court recently to be sentenced.
The court heard that all of the offences were committed in Warrington town centre on February 9 this year, explained Chelsea Kearns, prosecuting.
In the early hours of the morning, Powell and her then-girlfriend were outside pubs and bars on Barbauld Street when the assault occurred following a row.
The assault involved the defendant, a boxer, launching a headbutt at the victim, as well as a punch.
In addition, Powell was found to be in possession of an offensive weapon in the form of a flick or lock knife.
She also admitted to driving an Audi A4 on Bridge Street, having previously been disqualified from driving, meaning that she was also behind the wheel without insurance.
The court heard that the assault has had a ‘lasting effect’ on the victim.
Before passing sentence, magistrates commented that the offences were so serious that only a custodial sentence could be justified, with the custody threshold being passed.
They highlighted that the assault was ‘unprovoked’ and committed in a domestic context, and they referenced the impact it has had.
However, taking the defendant’s guilty plea into account, and a report from the Probation Service that deems her to have a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, she was told that she would not be heading to prison immediately.
Powell, of Pinehurst Avenue in Liverpool, was sentenced to 18 weeks in prison, but this was suspended for the next 12 months.
During this period, she must complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days, while the court also imposed an order to deprive her of the flick knife seized from.
In addition, the defendant must pay compensation of £200 to the victim and abide by a restraining order prohibiting her from approaching or contacting her.
The restraining order also bans Powell from entering Warrington, and she is disqualified from driving for another 12 months, with her driving record endorsed.
