A mother was brutally attacked by another parent while on the school run, after their daughters had a row. Jessica Kitching, 25, assaulted the fellow mum while collecting her daughter from Willow Bank School in Lancaster in September 2023.
Preston Crown Court heard that despite their children being friends, a dispute had arisen during the school holidays. On September 21, Kitching followed the woman out of the playground, yanked her to the ground by her ponytail, and kicked her in the face as she knelt on her chest.
Her victim begged her to stop as they were outside the school and there were children present. Another friend dragged Kitching off but as she walked away, the furious mother shouted: “I know where you live. I’ll f***ing kill you.”
The victim went to Lancaster Royal Infirmary with grazes and bruises to her face. Doctors said they suspected a hairline fracture to her nose, however the woman did not attend a follow up appointment 10 days later as she said she felt a lot better.
The ordeal left her humiliated and fearful of further confrontations, even considering changing her daughter’s school, reports Lancs Live. Since the assault, the children have continued to play together without further incidents, the court was informed.
The court heard the attack was out of character for Kitching, who has no previous convictions. She could not explain why she had lost her temper but told a probation officer she was ashamed of what she had done and wanted to apologise to her victim. She pleaded guilty to ABH.
Sentencing, Recorder Ayesha Siddiqi said: “This happened near a school and in the presence of children, You were unable to control your behaviour in front of the children. She must have been terrified by being pulled to the floor and kicked by you. There was the use of a shod foot as a weapon.
“This offence is so serious and your behaviour that day was so unacceptable that only a custodial sentence can be justified. I have heard you are effectively a single parent to your nine-year-old daughter. Your behaviour that day was appalling.”
However the judge said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and Kitching’s child would suffer if her mother was sent to prison. She handed down a sentence of 30 weeks suspended for 12 months with 15 days rehabilitation activities and 60 hours of unpaid work.