Woman who kicked rival in head during Southsea Common attack says she was 'scared' as victim 'ran at her' after laughing gas row

A WOMAN accused of attempting to cause ‘serious harm’ to a rival after a row over laughing gas told a court she was ‘shocked’ and ‘scared’ after the victim ‘ran at her’.
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Minnie-Mo Hunt, 25, of High Street, Cosham, told Portsmouth Crown Court she ‘did not want’ to inflict a severe injury to hospitalised Rebecca Grant, 20.

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The victim was repeatedly ‘kicked and stamped’ in the head following the incident on Southsea Common on June 17 - leaving her unconscious.

Minnie-Mo Hunt outside Portsmouth Crown Court on 27 July 2020.Minnie-Mo Hunt outside Portsmouth Crown Court on 27 July 2020.
Minnie-Mo Hunt outside Portsmouth Crown Court on 27 July 2020.
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Hunt, who is on trial for attempting to cause grievous bodily harm but has admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, told jurors matters escalated after she refused to hand back a nitrous oxide gas cracker to Ms Grant after she asked for it.

When asked about repeated attempts to return the cracker, Hunt said: ‘I kept denying (I had it), it was a silly thing to do.

‘(Ms Grant) was angry. We were getting in each other’s faces.

‘Two of the boys were holding her back. She wriggled out of her jacket and came running at me.

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

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The defendant denied being the first one to land a punch but admitted she dealt her rival ‘a few kicks’ but this was because she was ‘scared’.

Hunt was joined in the scrap with her niece Daisy Hunt, 22, of Berkshire Close, Landport.

She has previously admitted a charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm after stamping on the victim’s head while standing over her.

During cross examination prosecutor Rob Harding told a tearful Hunt she had intended to cause a serious injury.

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‘You accept kicking and stamping on the victim’s face with maximum force...you bring your leg up as high as you can and hit down,’ he said.

‘At that moment you intended to cause serious harm.’

The defendant replied: ‘I didn’t want to.’

Hunt denied being ‘aggressive’ but Mr Harding said: ‘You were aggressive as well.

‘Why not give the cracker back? You were being disrespectful.’

He added: ‘Ms Grant didn’t back down despite warnings and that made you angry with you saying “I’m going to knock you out”.

‘You hit her in the face and threw the first punch.’

‘No,’ replied Hunt.

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‘So all the witnesses are wrong then?’ Mr Harding fired back.

The prosecutor added that Hunt lashed out when the pair were on the ground because ‘you thought it was going against you’.

(Proceeding)

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