Postal worker assaulted trying to stop Bagillt sisters' fight

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A WOMAN assaulted a postal delivery worker who tried to break up a drunken brawl between sisters.

Zoe Richards, 26, of Riverbank, Bagillt, appeared at Flintshire Magistrates Court where she pleaded guilty to assaulting Julie Scott on June 11.

Justin Espie, prosecuting, told the Mold court yesterday that Ms Scott had been delivering letters on her regular round when she saw two women fighting outside a house on Riverbank at about 9.30am.

She described Richards as “throttling” the other woman, but when she tried to split them up, Richards turned on her and left the postwoman with scratches to her neck.

When police officers arrived, they found Richards lying in the front garden with blood over her face and both she and her sister, who had gone into the house, were found to be drunk.

A probation report read out in court said Richards fully accepted responsibility, but had “little memory of the incident” and showed “genuine remorse and empathy for the victim”.

She had been drinking all night and into the early hours with her sister and believed the alcohol had combined with medication she was taking for anxiety and depression.

The report described how Richards had begun to suffer from blackouts as a result of her drinking, which were “starting to frighten her”, but she had not drunk since the incident.

District judge Gwyn Jones said it was “an unpleasant incident” where “public spiritedness had resulted in a public servant being injured”.

Richards was given a 12-month community order and ordered to undergo 20 days of misuse of alcohol and stress rehabilitation.

She will also have to carry out 80 hours of unpaid work, pay £150 compensation to Ms Scott, £85 costs and an £85 victim surcharge.