Sentencing Kylie Morgan and Laura Kearney, Recorder Stephen said it was a miracle no-one was seriously hurt in the incident which he said resembled a “saloon fight in a Western”.

Kylie Morgan had punched the woman in the face in the Premier store in Beccles and Laura Kearney had kicked her and pulled her hair while she was on the floor, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

One of the victim’s sons, who was 15, had intervened and was assaulted by Kearney.

Godfried Duah, prosecuting, said there had been some ill feeling between the victim and Morgan going back five years.

They had met by chance in the convenience store and Morgan had lifted up her top and pointed at her stomach before calling the victim fat.

The victim had told Morgan she shouldn’t talk like that in front of her children and Morgan had told her to “shut up” before punching her in the face.

Mr Duah said the victim and her family felt they had to move out of the area following the incident.

He said that as a result of the “prolonged” attack which was caught on CCTV, the victim suffered concussion, bruising to her face, including her nose and lip, and bruising to her hand and knee. 

She had also lost clumps of her hair.

Following the incident police stopped a car driven by Kearney with Morgan in the passenger seat and Morgan had kicked five police officers.

Morgan, 35, of Banham Road, Beccles and Kearney, 36, of Coppice Court, Lowestoft admitted assaulting the victim causing her actual bodily harm. 

Morgan also admitted assaulting five police officers and Kearney also admitted two offences of battery.

Morgan was given an 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years, an alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement for 100 days, a 20 day rehabilitation activity requirement and an 18 month mental health treatment requirement.

Kearney was given a nine month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 20 day rehabilitation activity requirement. 

Recorder Stephen Rubin made an order banning the defendants from contacting the victim and her family for three years.

Steven Dyble for Kearney described the incident as an “unedifying spectacle” and said it wasn’t his client who started it.

He said Kearney had gone to the aid of Morgan out of a “misplaced sense of loyalty”.

The court heard that Morgan was “remorseful and ashamed” for her behaviour and had no previous convictions for violence.