Beautician involved in 'indiscriminate violence' from 'bottom slapping' incident in Guildhall Walk Portsmouth sentenced at court

Beautician Scarlett Bareham, 20, admitted a charge of affray following the incident around 1.45am on August 5 last year as people lingered around Guildhall Walk when clubs closed.

Bareham, who had faced one count of sexual assault, had the charge dropped by the Crown during her appearance at Portsmouth Crown Court this morning.

The court heard Bareham, of Timsbury Crescent, Bedhampton, was with friends when matters escalated.

Prosecutor Beverley Cherill said the incident was sparked after friend Hannah Phillips ‘smacked the bottom’ of a woman leading to ‘giggling’ from the females.

Ms Cherill said: ‘There was a suggestion Ms Bareham had done the same but there was no evidence for that charge.’

The prosecutor said contact was also made with a man’s bottom - prompting a female friend of the man to intervene.

‘She said not to slap his bottom because his girlfriend was around and she would not like it,’ Ms Cherill said.

This led to emotions boiling over before events turned violent.

Ms Cherill added: ‘Members of the public were trying to intervene including (a male) complainant who sought to interact with Ms Bareham. For his trouble he was kicked in the ankle by her and sustained a graze.

‘She also aimed a punch at his face along with others it seems.

‘Other people would have feared for their safety as it was a fast-moving incident. There were punches and kicks being thrown by various people and Ms Bareham was one of them.’

Fern Russell, defending, said Bareham, of previous good character, was on the ‘periphery’ of the incident after only getting involved after ‘seeing something happen’.

She admitted Bareham was ‘drunk’ with the incident initially starting inside a club before ‘a discussion’ continued outside. ‘(Bareham and a friend) were approached by men involved in the incident who were rebuffed,’ she said.

The lawyer said of Bareham’s involvement: ‘It was out of character.’

Judge Timothy Mousley QC said: ‘You were quite obviously drunk and should be thoroughly embarrassed about the way you behaved.

‘You should be apologetic to the people outside in particular (the male victim). You were one of several people involved in violence and aggression.

‘You kicked out at (the male victim) and threw a punch at him.

‘You played a fairly prominent part in the indiscriminate violence. You simply did not care about who you made contact with.’

The judge then dished out a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and told her to pay £150 compensation to the male victim.

He added: ‘I don’t expect to see you again.’

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Fiona Hoyle, 19, of Cleveland Road, Southsea, previously admitted a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at an earlier hearing. She is due to go on trial on March 7 for affray.

Phillips, 20, also of Timsbury Crescent, Bedhampton, was charged with sexual assault on a man over the incident.

But the case was withdrawn by the Crown Prosecution Service after she was given a conditional caution.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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