Southsea woman involved in scrap where man's bottom slapped in Guildhall Walk during drunk night out appears in court

Fiona Hoyle, 19, of Cleveland Road, Southsea, previously admitted one count of affray having previously denied the charge and had also pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm following a punch up in Guildhall Walk in August 2020.

The incident was sparked after one of Hoyle's friends was said to have slapped the man's backside.

Hoyle appeared at Portsmouth Crown Court today to be sentenced for the matters – but the case was adjourned after a judge decided justice was better served by sentencing her for those matters and other new charges unrelated to that incident.

For the new matters, Hoyle admitted possessing a blade and an offensive weapon related to a separate affray incident in September 2020.

A trial for one of the defendants involved in that case will not take place until September with it felt it was ‘fairer’ for Hoyle to be sentenced for all matters together after the trial was concluded.

Judge Richard Shepherd said: ‘If I sentence you for part of it I may stop a future judge from doing a proper job because I’ve taken part in that (sentence) so I’ve decided the fairest thing to do is to delay matters on your sentence for everything until after the affray trial is concluded.’

Hoyle was due to be sentenced for her part in the Guildhall Walk affray that saw beauty therapist Scarlett Bareham, 20, accused of sexually assaulting a man by smacking his behind in front of his girlfriend but the charge, which she denied, was later dropped.

The drunk friends had been leaving a nightclub with another pal Hannah Phillips, 20, when tensions boiled over before a fight broke out causing alarm in the area.

The incident initially started inside a club before ‘a discussion’ continued outside with Bareham and Phillips approached by men involved in the incident who were rebuffed, the court previously heard.

A female friend of the man whose bottom was slapped challenged the women for smacking his bottom in front of his girlfriend.

During the melee Bareham assaulted reveller Mark Palmer, who had tried to keep the peace, after kicking him in the ankle and aiming a punch at his head.

The incident led to ‘punches and kicks being thrown by various people’ leaving people fearing for their safety.

Hoyle will now appear at court on September 23 for sentence. She was given conditional bail related to the new offences.

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Bareham, of Timsbury Crescent, Bedhampton, was sentenced in November to 100 hours of community service and ordered to pay Mr Palmer £150 at the end of last year.

Phillips, also of Timsbury Crescent, Bedhampton, was also 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.

Judge Timothy Mousley QC previously told Bareham: ‘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.’