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Court: Maidstone mum and daughter's racial attack after night out in Bar Chocolate

A mum and daughter's boozy night out ended with an attack on a bouncer and several police officers, a court heard.

Mum Fiona Brown, 37, had gone to intervene when her daughter was thrown out of Bar Chocolate, but ended up assaulting three police officers and launched a racially-abusive tirade at an officer.

Her daughter, Sarah Drinkwater, 20, was in court for racially aggravated harassment, along with assaulting a nightclub doorman.

Sarah Drinkwater, in pink, leaves court with her mother, Fiona Brown, in green.
Sarah Drinkwater, in pink, leaves court with her mother, Fiona Brown, in green.

The pair pleaded guilty to all charges.

Maidstone Magistrates heard how Drinkwater, 20, had returned home for Christmas from where she is living near Chester.

The duo had a few drinks at a pub in Tovil before deciding to go to Bar Chocolate in Maidstone town centre.

Both women had a number of shots while at the Market Buildings club, and it was the early hours of Tuesday, December 27 when Drinkwater was ejected from the premises following an incident.

It was here that the 20-year-old pulled the hair of a doorman at the bar, causing her pain.

Russell Morling, defending for Brown, described how she felt the need to intervene, and it was then that both women were arrested.

Andrew Jones, prosecuting, told the court Brown was arrested for being drunk and disorderly, and put in the back of a police van, along with her daughter, to be taken to Maidstone police station.

The mother of five then repeatedly kicked out and bit police officers.

The pair appeared at Maidstone Magistrates' Court
The pair appeared at Maidstone Magistrates' Court

She also uttered racially abusive phrases to PC Aurangzeb Rehman, a police officer of Asian descent, asking him "do you live here?", and telling him he was taking other people's jobs.

She also asked him: "Where does your mother live? Do you send money back to your family because you're poor?"

Her daughter also used a highly insulting term to describe the same officer.

Brown, of Old Tovil Road, has also been banned from Maidstone's town centre pubs by Maidsafe, a scheme promoting safer socialising.

Geoff Playford, speaking in Drinkwater's defence, described how she is the mother of two young children, whose father is currently in prison.

Mr Morling added Brown had previous alcohol issues, but is working to rectify them, and has been responding well to a rehab programme.

Magistrates gave both women suspended sentences. Brown was ordered to complete a further 20 days of rehab to deal with alcohol issues, and pay £85 costs, plus £50 to each of the officers she assaulted.

Drinkwater was also ordered to carry out 50 rehab activity days and pay £200 costs.

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