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Llanelli Star
By South Wales Evening Post
Posted: October 06, 2012
A WOMAN used a saucepan to repeatedly hit a man in the street after a family dispute.
Tina Clair Brown took a saucepan from her home to attack Peter Wilson in the middle of Port Tennant.
Mr Wilson, who is Brown’s former sister-in-law’s partner, escaped with minor injuries after the attack.
Janet Gedrych, prosecuting, said: “It appears there had been a falling out between the defendant and her ex-sister-in-law, Hayley. It was apparently over the way Mr Wilson had treated Hayley.
“When Hayley took Mr Wilson’s side, there was an argument between the two women,” she added.
Mr Wilson, who lives in Kilvey Terrace, had gone to his local Spar shop in Port Tennant Road with a friend to buy cigarettes and alcohol, Swansea Crown Court was told.
He passed by four youths who were stood outside the shop before going into the shop.
As he was leaving the shop, he saw Brown standing 10ft away carrying a silver saucepan.
Miss Gedrych said: “He has little memory of what happened next but is aware of being hit on the head with the saucepan.”
He lost count of how many times he was hit, but his friend later told police there were at least six blows.
CCTV showed Brown approaching the shop and one of the group of youths pointing to someone inside the shop.
Miss Gedrych said she was clearly seen holding the pan but the assault happened away from the camera.
Mr Wilson was left with a 2cm by 2cm bump behind his right ear and although he attended hospital he was later discharged.
He had to return two days later still complaining of pain and he thought he was suffering concussion, Miss Gedrych said.
When Brown was arrested two days later, she denied she had used the saucepan to assault Mr Wilson.
Miss Gedrych said: “She said she had been asked to lend her saucepan to a friend and intended to meet her friend.”
She said she waited outside the shop for her friend but that Mr Wilson had approached her and threatened to hit her with a metal bar.
“Fearing he would attack, she struck him,” read Miss Gedrych.
“Clearly, she doesn’t stand by that now.”
She had pleaded not guilty and was due to stand trial earlier this week. She then changed her plea to guilty on the day of trial.
The court was told she had a previous conviction for assault.
Miss Gedrych said the assault, on February 6, 2007, was against a pregnant woman.
She said Brown, who was tearful throughout her hearing, had punched and pulled her hair during the assault. She was sentenced to a community order, which she later breached.
Huw Rees, representing Brown, said his client was suffering from anxiety and had been late arriving at court because she had been having an asthma attack.
He said there are “concerns” for her wellbeing.
He said Brown, 36, of Port Tennant Road, Port Tennant, had been suffering from depression and agoraphobia and she is taking antidepressants.
Judge Peter Heywood told her: “In my view it was very sensible that you pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm.
“I don’t know what caused you to behave in that way but clearly you were involved in an incident with him where you used violence,” he said.
“You were in the street with a saucepan. You did not demonstrate culinary skills with that saucepan, in fact you used it as a weapon,” said Judge Heywood.
“If you had struck him repeatedly with another variety of saucepan he could have sustained serious injury,” said Judge Heywood.
“He has made a full recovery,” he added.
“There are lots of issues that you need to address. I think that you need assistance in addressing them,” said the judge.
He then imposed a 12-month community order and 12-month supervision order.