Woman smashed friend’s head against steps for texting her boyfriend

A woman attacked her friend after discovering her boyfriend had been texting her.

Zoe Hopkins, 34, was drunk on February 15 this year when she was waiting outside her friend’s flat in Carmarthen for her to return home.

Prosecutor Megan Jones said Hopkins followed her friend into the communal area of the block of flats then grabbed her, threw her to the floor and ‘smashed’ her head against the steps a number of times.

The victim, 28, managed to get to her feet and run towards her flat, but Hopkins followed her upstairs and attacked her friend again.

Hopkins grabbed the woman by the hair, pulled her head downwards, and kicked her in the face while accusing her of messaging her boyfriend.

The victim then managed to run to a neighbour’s flat, from where the police were called.

She was left with bruises but did not seek medical treatment, and said in a victim impact statement read to Swansea Crown Court the assault had made her anxiety worse.

After being arrested and interviewed, Hopkins answered ‘no comment’ to everything she was asked.

David Singh, mitigating, said the defendant was someone who had experienced a ‘difficult upbringing’ and had substance misuse issues.

He said ‘there may have been a degree of jealousy’ influencing Hopkins’ behaviour after she took exception to text messages sent by her friend to her boyfriend, and his response to them.

Hopkins, of Russell Terrace in Carmarthen, previously pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

She has 16 previous convictions for 22 offences, including 10 for violence – the last being a battery three years ago.

Recorder Paul Lewis QC said it had been a prolonged assault ‘motivated by some element of jealousy’.

He said it was aggravated by Hopkins’ previous criminal record and after she admitted she was drunk at the time.

With a 20% discount for her guilty plea, Hopkins was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

She will serve up to half that period in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

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