Derbyshire horse lover left fellow equestrian with lasting scars in "unprovoked" attack

Tracey Harrison, 59, landed “multiple blows” on her 61-year-old victim, who the court heard was “putting on her wellingtons” at her land in South Normanton at the time.

A prosecutor told Derby Crown Court how, prior to the attack on March 15, 2022, there had been an “exchange of text messages” between Harrison and the complainant.

He described how at 7.30pm on the day of the incident, Harrison called the victim a b**** as she entered her field, “rushing at her” before she was punched to the face and body “several times”.

He said: “It caused severe injuries and required hospital treatment with 10 butterfly stitches. It was an unprovoked assault which caused severe bruising and scarring.”

In a victim personal statement read out to the court, the complainant described lasting scarring to both cheeks which left her “self-conscious”.

She now no longer enjoyed getting dressed up or going out due to the disfigurement and felt uneasy while seeing to her horses.

The court heard Harrison, of Wood Street, Alfreton, was a person of previous good character and was the sole carer for her husband who was in poor health.

Judge Tim Spruce told her: “This was an unprovoked assault involving multiple blows – it has resulted in scarring which she has got to live with.

"You entered her property to carry out the assault and now she is thinking ‘what if people are staring at me when I’m out for dinner’.

"You let yourself down here – you were a lady with no previous convictions and the loss of your good character is a heavy penalty in itself.”

Harrison was found guilty of assault with actual bodily harm after a trial. She was handed 32 weeks jail suspended for 15 months, a 120-day curfew and a three-year restraining order.

The defendant was also ordered to pay £600 compensation and £400 court costs.