Fight between women outside Peterlee's Vibe nightclub went 'too far'

Having viewed cctv footage of the confrontation involving Vicky Coatman and the other woman, outside Vibe, in Peterlee, a judge described it as, “quite frankly sickening”.

Durham Crown Court was told the pair, who had not had previous contact with each other, became involved in mutual hair grabbing after a remark was made about a man who had been pestering the eventual victim in the violence.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said that man was led away, but after the comment was passed by either Coatman or her boyfriend, the other woman approached to ask what they were shouting for.

(Image: Google Street View) Coatman got up off a bench she was sitting on and the pair approached each other before attempting to grab hold of each other’s hair.

Mr Towers said during the altercation that followed the pair went to the ground, where Coatman used her thumb to gouge at one of the victim’s eye sockets and banged her head off the pavement, causing her to lapse in and out of consciousness.

The victim suffered a “grossly” swollen and bruised eye socket, an injury to her nose and hair loss in the incident.

She attended accident and emergency and was then transferred to James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, for further specialist treatment to the eye.

Mr Towers said after several follow-up appointments over the next fortnight the eye was restored to full health.

But in her victim statements, read to the court, she said she had feared for her life and genuinely believed the defendant was going to kill her.

She said in the weeks after the incident, in October 2022, her eye felt uncomfortable and she suffered blurred vision, while she had to endure “non-stop” headaches and neck pain.

Two years on from the incident, she said she still avoids nights out and crowds, and becomes anxious in the presence of drunk people, while she is constantly worried that she may bump into her attacker.

Coatman, of Christchurch Place, Peterlee, was charged with attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.

She admitted a lesser charge of assault causing actual bodily harm, but her basis of plea of “self-defence” was not accepted by the Crown.

Once that basis was withdrawn, her plea to the assault charge was accepted and the case was adjourned prior to sentence being passed, to allow for preparation of a background report on the defendant, by the Probation Service.

Mr Towers told the sentencing hearing that the 43-year-old defendant has four previous convictions for offences of common assault, threatening behaviour and battery plus six cautions, the last being for assault in 2014.

Tony Davis, representing Coatman, told the court the “unwise” comment which sparked the incident was not made by the defendant, but by her boyfriend.

But he accepted it led to the two women coming together, as they did.

“Ultimately, while I concede she has had convictions with a flavour of violence, in the past, the last 11 years ago, there are elements displayed by her, as outlined in the report, that are indicative of underlying actions, certainly impulsive behaviour, which may be indicative of adhd.

“That may need to be considered.”

Mr Davis said, as was also highlighted in the probation report, the defendant is the sole carer for a severely disabled child, who is now an adult himself, which brings added pressures.

He said because of that she rarely goes out socialising and was only out on the night of the incident attending a charity function.

Mr Davis said the probation report also stated that she should be given “targeted assistance” to ensure she does not react as she did on the night in question.

He added: “Hopefully, this will be an end to her involvement with the criminal justice system.”

(Image: The Northern Echo) Judge Nathan Adams said having viewed cctv footage of the incident, it was, “absolutely plain” the victim initially approached the defendant, followed by a, “mutual grabbing of hair”, after which Coatman used her thumb to cause the eye injury.

He told the defendant that having viewed the cctv coverage: “What is shown is frankly sickening.

“It was a fight that went far too far, causing significant injury and there was no excuse for that.

“You grabbed each other’s hair and a tussle ensued, but that should have been the end of it and you should have walked away.

“You ended up on top of her and it’s quite clear you used your thumb to press into her eye.”

He said she could have caused even more serious injury as it is a vulnerable area.

“You claimed you were defending yourself, but, quite clearly, not from the mid-point of this incident, onwards.

“It was, perhaps, luck rather than self-control by you that there weren’t any longer-lasting injuries.”

But the judge said the question was, “what is the appropriate sentence” given the personal mitigation he had heard.

He said he had to bear in mind the defendant’s position as sole carer for her significantly disabled son, who is dependent on her.

As a result, he said he could “step-back”, in the circumstances, from imposing a custodial sentence.

He passed an 18-month community order during which the defendant must attend 35 rehabilitation activity days to ensure she commits no further offences.

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Judge Adams refused to put in place a restraining order, as he said there was nothing to suggest the incident was, “anything other than a random coming together between the two of you”.

But he accepted that the complainant might feel differently about that.

The judge also made a formal not guilty verdict on the charge of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.