A woman who viciously assaulted another while on licence from prison for a street robbery has been jailed for two years.

Sheelagh Tierney, who has 43 previous convictions for 137 offences, including seven for assault and one for robbery, dragged her victim by her hair, banged her head against a wall and punched her.

Michelle Bromley was left with extensive scratches to her face, bumps to her head and swelling to the bridge of her nose.

Tierney, of Tramways, Chatham, had denied assault causing actual bodily harm, false imprisonment and robbery but was convicted of assault by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court.

She was cleared, however, of false imprisonment and robbery.

"Tierney grabbed her by her hair and started banging her head against a wall. Tierney started scratching at her forehead..." - Dominic Connolly, prosecuting

The court heard that the violence started when the women were at a property in Luton Road, Chatham.

Tierney attacked Ms Bromley because she believed she had scratched a male friend’s face.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly said: “Tierney grabbed her by her hair and started banging her head against a wall. Tierney started scratching at her forehead.

“She dragged her by her hair across the lounge floor and knocked her head against a step. When she tried to stand up, Tierney pushed her back down.”

The assault lasted two to three minutes.

It was alleged Tierney also locked the front door and took £18 from Ms Bromley’s pocket.

When she eventually fled the house, a distressed and crying Ms Bromley flagged down a police car.

Tierney told police following her arrest that Ms Bromley was drunk and had made up the allegations.

Giving evidence, Tierney denied she was a violent, intimidating or bullying woman

Passing sentence, Judge Charles Macdonald QC remarked that the assault was sustained and involved the use of “weapon equivalent”, namely the wall and a pot rack against which Ms Bromley hit her head.

Having heard how Tierney was successfully making protective dust bags for designer bags while in prison and hoped to make a career of it once released, the judge added that her only mitigation was the fact she was a model prisoner.

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