Mother of four Natasha Sherlock, 29, accused Samantha Rylance, 28, of sleeping with her ex-boyfriend before the fight broke out as parents waited to collect their kids from primary school
Two mums were left with black eyes after a school run brawl saw them punching and slapping at each other in a primary school playground as shocked parents looked on.
A court heard how the pair had a fight in front of kids and other parents at a primary school playground as they were picking up their children from afternoon classes.
Mother of four Natasha Sherlock, 29, accused Samantha Rylance, 28, of sleeping with her ex-boyfriend as parents were collecting the children from Sommerville Primary School in Seacombe, Wallasey, the court heard.
The pair had previously been friends, the court was told, but fell out after Sherlock claimed Rylance had a one night stand with her former partner.
Sherlock was said to have shouted: “Do not f***ing talk to my kids” at Rylance after her daughter waved at the mother of three before the pair began scuffling on the tarmac.
Sefton magistrates court was told how Rylance slapped Sherlock whilst Sherlock punched Rylance in the face. The fight was eventually broken up by Rylance’s partner Callum Roberts and Sherlock’s father who had been helping to collect the children. Rylance called the police, who were given CCTV footage of the incident of the playground brawl by the school headmaster.
“This took place on a school playground, with parents and kids around,” District Judge Paul Healey said after viewing the CCTV, adding: “It is a thoroughly unpleasant incident to witness.”
Sherlock, from Birkenhead on the Wirral, was on trial for assault by beating but was cleared after insisting she acted in self defence. Describing the school run brawl, which took place on July 10 last year, Rylance told the hearing: “I was coming onto the playground and her daughter waved at me. I looked at her and that is when she hurled abuse. She said, ‘Do not f***ing look at my children.’ It was quite loud and there were other parents there.
“I just walked away then collected my little boy and left the small playground to go to the main playground to meet the kids’ dad Callum who was collecting the other children. But I saw Natasha talking to him and she being aggressive and screaming and shouting at Callum. When she saw me she said: “Yes, f****ing you.” I said ‘Leave it, we are on the playground. There are kids around.
“But she said, ‘Come on, come on, let’s go outside’ and started grabbing my top. She was screaming and shouting. She initially knocked my glasses off and as gentleman picked them she was pulling on my top. I knocked her hand away to defend myself but she swung and hit me across the face and that is when it turned into the fight itself. After the incident I felt awful. The kids did not want to go to school or let me to take them to school in case I got attacked again.”
The CCTV showed Sherlock walking up towards the camera with her father and two children. She then stopped to speak to Callum who was walking in the opposite direction then turned around and saw Rylance. Sherlock then appeared to move back slightly but Rylance’s hands are out of view. Sherlock was then seen punching Rylance with her right hand to the left side of her face.
Callum told the hearing: ”Natasha was angry. She said, ‘You best sort her out’ or ‘Sort your missus out.’ Samantha approached and Natasha said ‘Yeah, you’. She then ended up grabbing her and then punched her. I was really worried about the kids. There were arms flying everywhere. ”
A police report of the incident said: ”Natasha claims Samantha has slept with her boyfriend causing them to fall out and they have not spoken in a while. She says Rylance approached her but and denies grabbing her clothes and swearing at her. She further claims Rylance hit just below her right eye and has hit her back as a reaction and in self-defence. ”
In her evidence Sherlock agreed she had fallen out with Rylance and added: “It was quite a bad one. On that day she said ‘Hi’ to my daughter and I said ‘Do not talk to my child.’ I knew she was trying to wind me up.”
”I saw Callum and I said to him ‘Tell her not to speak to me or the kids’. But I heard her shouting and it escalated from there. I said to Samantha, ‘Here, let’s go to the office and tell them what a dirty little coke head you are. At that point she slapped me and I responded.
“I felt I had no choice. I was overwhelmed and I felt scared and threatened. I did not know what else to do. I think she only slapped me because she did not want to go to the office. It freaked me out and it scared me. I had my kids with me. I did not know if she was going to hit me again. Obviously it was a shock to everyone when I smacked back but I got hit first.
“I tried walking off but Samantha carried on screaming stuff. If anyone was attacked it was me and I hit her back. I was only aggressive when she started shouting at me.”
Sherlock’s father Robert said: ”I saw Samantha throw a slap at my daughter and my daughter hit her. I had hold of a pram but I just reacted and jumped in the middle. I put my arms up and tried to prevent any more. I was shocked. It happened so quickly. It was a bit of banter at first then all of a sudden I saw it go boom.”
Sherlock’s lawyer Paul Davison said: “The complainant was the aggressor. If she is scared of the defendant and if she hears the defendant shout words when she has a young child with her, why approach unless you are looking for trouble? You just wouldn’t but she does.”