A woman was called a ‘f***ing s**g’ before being punched by two other women as she lay spread-eagled over the bonnet of a Corsa.

Mum-and-daughter duo Gaynor and Phoebe Hale, 55 and 31 respectively, rained down the blows in what their lawyers called excessive self-defence after their victim ran at the younger woman.

Prosecutor Edward Culver told Oxford Crown Court that the victim had called for her boyfriend at the youth hostel in Botley Road on July 31 when she became embroiled in a war of words with Phoebe Hale.

In basis of pleas, the Hales claimed that their victim threw the first blow – although acknowledged what happened next went beyond them acting in self-defence.

The victim ended up on the ground in an alleyway opposite the youth hostel. A sign was used to batter the woman. Prosecutors said Phoebe Hale was clutching a bottle, which was smashed in the fight but not used as a weapon.

After a hiatus of around a minute the victim, who had wandered away, could be seen running at Phoebe Hale as she stood chatting to her mother through the open window of a Vauxhall Corsa. Miss Hale had called her a ‘f***ing s**g’.

Again, the victim came off worse in the exchange – lying spread-eagled over the car bonnet as the mum-and-daughter pugilists landed several punches.

The woman suffered bruising, a cut to her neck and lumps to her head. Mr Culver said the victim reported her head was ‘killing her’.

Phoebe and Gaynor Hale, of Botley Road, Oxford, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to causing actual bodily harm.

Christopher Pembridge, for Gaynor Hale, said her client had no previous convictions and the behaviour was out of character for her.

Alice Aubrey-Fletcher, for Phoebe Hale, acknowledged the younger woman had eight previous convictions, the majority of which were for shoplifting. She had struggled with various addictions from the age of 13, but had been clean of class A drugs for several weeks.

The barrister said Phoebe Hale had known the victim for many years. “My understanding is they have apologised to each other since this incident and there is currently no issue between them.”

Judge Ian Pringle QC gave Gaynor Hale an 18 month community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days. Her daughter received a two year community order, 12 month drug rehabilitation facility and up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Sentencing the women he said: “This sort of behaviour in public is quite unacceptable and I think you both recognise that.”

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