Pregnant woman spared jail for assault in St Helier bar

Thursday 06 June 2024

A 24-year-old who punched another woman in the head, pulled her to the ground by her hair, and stamped on her face twice in a St Helier bar has been spared prison.

Jessica Christine Lydia Coates was told that the grave and criminal assault she committed on 15 December last year could have resulted in a jail sentence.

But she pleaded guilty to the offence, and is pregnant and due to give birth in November, and was instead sentenced to 12 months' probation.

Advocate Sophie Lister, prosecuting, said the attack happened in St James' wine bar after the two women got into an argument.

She said: "Coates punched her once on the side of the head and then pulled her to the ground by her hair, before stamping on her face twice."

When the police arrived, Coates told them: "I was going to apologise."

The victim went to the Emergency Department the following afternoon, where she was found to be suffering from concussion.

The court was shown photographs of her injuries, which included cuts and bruising to her neck and shoulders and a badly cut lower lip.

Advocate Greg Herold-Howes, defending, said that Coates had no previous convictions and that there had been "an element of provocation" before the assault.

He explained: "Miss Coates was suspicious about what was going on between the victim and her boyfriend.

"There was a verbal altercation. The victim gave the middle finger to Miss Coates. There was another altercation and another gesture."

He stressed: "It was a loss of control. It was not induced by drink.

"It was simply a boiling over. There was no planning."

Advocate Herold-Howes said he accepted the offence "touches the custodial threshold" but pointed out that Coates was due to give birth in five months so prison and community service were unsuitable.

He suggested the probation order as an alternative.

Relief Magistrate David Le Cornu agreed, telling Coates that "a serious assault in a public place would normally attract a custodial sentence".

But he said he was sparing her prison owing to her early guilty plea, and added: "Hopefully we won't see you in court again."