OFFENDER WHO ASSAULTED WOMAN WITH HAIR EXTENSIONS AND PUSHED HER DOWN STAIRS GETS SUSPENDED SENTENCE
A violent MMA competitor violently yanked a woman's hair extensions and pushed her down two flights of stairs.Joseph Cummins, aged 30, severely attacked Rebekah Campbell at her residence in Knowsley Heights, Huyton, on Boxing Day last year, following a dispute over money.
Although Cummins faced multiple serious charges, the Crown Prosecution Service accepted a lesser charge of common assault, restricting the court's sentencing options.
During the hearing at Liverpool Crown Court, it was noted that Rebekah Campbell had tragically died earlier that same year, with another man scheduled to face trial for her murder.
The court was informed that the assault began when Cummins collected Ms Campbell shortly after midnight and took her back to her flat.
After an argument, he forcibly entered her home, seized her phone—damaging it—and assaulted her.
He pulled her hair so hard that her extensions came out, then pushed her down one or two stairs, causing her to break her nails while trying to defend herself.
Ms Campbell attempted to feign death, but Cummins kept kicking her while she was on the ground.
She eventually managed to signal to a neighbor, who called the police.
Cummins was subsequently detained and charged.
He had previously been convicted four times, including for assault in 2019.
Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Cummins struggled with alcohol and drugs, and he had a history of violent conduct, including an earlier stabbing.
The judge sentenced him to five months in prison, suspended over two years, and ordered him to complete 150 hours of unpaid community work along with paying £750 in court costs.
