Minnie-Mo Hunt found not guilty of intending to land a serious blow on victim who was 'kicked and stamped on head' on Southsea Common

Minnie-Mo Hunt, 25, did not intend to inflict a serious blow after ‘lifting her leg up and then hitting down’ on victim Rebecca Grant’s face as the pair scrapped on the ground on June 17, jurors at Portsmouth Crown Court found.

As the verdict was read out, Hunt, who has repeatedly broken down during the trial, wiped tears from her face.

Hunt, of High Street, Cosham, had claimed she was innocent of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) during the four-day trial – with jurors agreeing she did not intend to cause ‘really serious harm’ after returning their not guilty verdict after three-and-a-half hours

The defendant, wearing a black top and blue jeans, had admitted a less serious charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will now be sentenced for that offence at a later date.

Her niece Daisy Hunt, 22, of Berkshire Close, Landport, had previously pleaded guilty to attempting to cause grievous bodily harm after she was seen landing the blow that knocked out Ms Grant after ‘stamping on her head while standing over her’.

The Hunts were seen kicking and stamping on the head of the 20-year-old victim in a mobile phone clip that went viral on social media and received over a million views.

During the trial, the court heard events spiralled out of control after the Hunts joined Ms Grant’s group of friends on the common before Hunt senior refused to hand back a nitrous oxide gas cracker to the victim’s group.

Ms Grant was thwarted in her repeated efforts to retrieve the cracker by Hunt as the pair ‘got in each other’s faces’, with the defendant warning her.

‘Keep flashing your eye lashes on your pretty face and watch what you say or I will knock you out,’ Hunt said, according to prosecutor Rob Harding.

After Ms Grant replied ‘do it’, the prosecutor said the victim was then ‘punched in the face’ by Hunt who pulled her hair as the pair fell to the ground grappling before the younger Hunt sticks the boot in.

Mr Harding said: ‘(Minnie-Mo) Hunt is kicking and stamping out and you can clearly see she lifts her leg as high as she can and then stamps at the victim’s face.

‘All that matters is at that moment (when she kicks out) she intended to do serious harm.’

An emotional Ms Grant, giving evidence, told the court: ‘I got punched in my face. It was painful.

‘I fought back but I was dragged down to the ground by my hair and was getting kicked in the face.’

Hunt, who claimed she was hit first by Ms Grant, said of the flashpoint: ‘Two of the boys were holding (the victim) back. She wriggled out of her jacket and came running at me.

‘We ended up on the ground. I was shocked.’

The defendant admitted she lashed out with a ‘few kicks’ during the melee after trying to defend herself.

Ms Grant, who was treated by paramedics as she lay sprawled at the scene, suffered concussion following the knock-out.

It was not confirmed in the agreed facts of the case that she had a bleed on the brain or broken nose, as previously mentioned at an earlier court hearing.

The Hunts will now be sentenced together on January 8.

Hunt senior, who was granted unconditional bail, will have an all-options pre-sentence report.

SEE ALSO: Defence say Shane Mays hit with stick by teenager Louise Smith

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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