Attacker who assaulted pensioner turned back on judge in court
A violent young woman who assaulted a frail pensioner who had called her a ‘selfish cow’ has been remanded in custody after deliberately turning her back on a judge.
Despite Xena Randell’s history of violence, the judge had been prepared to give her a chance by deferring sentence of her after she had admitted the assault.
But as Judge Anthony Potter was explaining his decision to her, Randell, aged 19, of Burrows Street, Walsall, turned her back on him and refused to face him.
Eventually, after she repeatedly refused to turn round, the judge remanded her in custody to be sentenced at a later date.
Prosecutor Caroline Harris told Warwick Crown Court Randell’s grandfather and her 70-year-old victim, who suffers from osteoporosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, were part of a group which regularly organised coach trips.
In August last year Randell and her mother joined her grandfather on an outing to Warwickshire. But after arriving, Randell and her mother went shopping and returned later than expected.
“The complainant called the defendant a ‘selfish cow’ for being away so long, and the defendant pushed her with some force. It caused her to fall to the ground, striking her head.”
A retired nurse went to her aid, and the trip continued with the pensioner in fear that Randell would approach her again, the court heard.
Randell’s victim had sore ribs as a result of the push, and it later became apparent she had a fracture to her pelvis. But Miss Harris said it was ‘not possible to prove to the criminal standard’ it had happened when Randell pushed her.
When Randell was arrested, she said she had pushed the pensioner out of the way ‘because she was in my space.’ She claimed she was not generally a violent person. But Miss Harris pointed out she had 13 convictions for 49 offences, the majority of them for violence.
The judge told Randell: “In my judgement you are a bully. I am far from convinced you don’t deserve a prison sentence now, but it might be worth giving you a chance at a stage when your mother has given you a home.”
At that point Randell turned her back to him and refused to turn back, and Judge Potter told her: “I’m not going to read into this any desire by you to do what you say if you are not prepared to turn round and look at me.”
When the judge came back into court, with Randell still stubbornly with her back to him, he adjourned the case and remanded her in custody.
