A woman has been given a suspended sentence for assaulting another in a row over babysitting.
Leeds Crown Court heard the victim of Natalie Dennison’s violence had been looking after another woman’s baby while she went out drinking with Dennison and another woman to the Red Lion in Heckmondwike on the evening of November 28, 2015.
Martin Robertshaw, prosecuting, said when the three women returned they found the baby, who was teething, was crying and blamed the babysitter for not looking after her properly.
Dennison pushed her on to the couch before grabbing her hair and dragging her into the kitchen, punching her in the face on the way.
She was “subjected to a sustained assault” with Dennison punching her to various parts of her body. At one stage she was pushed into a dog cage before she was allowed outside. Dennison told her not to report it saying she knew what they could do to her.
Mr Robertshaw said the victim did not report it but when she got to her sister’s home that woman contacted the police.
The court heard from a probation officer that Dennison blamed drink for her actions. She regretted what had happened and since then she had stopped drinking and was now in a settled relationship.
Dennison, 36 of Howarth Lane, Lockwood, admitted assault and was sentenced to nine months in prison suspended for 18 months. She was also given a two month curfew from 7pm to 7am and ordered to pay £200 compensation.
Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told her it was a “nasty and unpleasant attack” which caused her victim great fear but he accepted the delay in the case was not her fault and in the 17 months since she had taken steps to address her drinking.
