Woman labelled 'raging beast' jailed after street violence

Michelle Nicholls was 'completely out of control' when violence flared after a night out with a friend, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The 47-year-old snapped as banter from Layton Shaduwa became nasty when the defendant walked past the parked vehicle in which he and his brother were sitting in Stourbridge High Street, said Miss Caroline Harris, prosecuting.

Nicholls was with her friend and two other women - Chloe Lines and Sherrie Langford - whom she had befriended after meeting them for the first time that night, the judge was told.

Infuriated by the comments allegedly made by Mr Shaduwa, Nicholls went to get her car as angry words were exchanged.

She drove the Honda onto the pavement where he was standing with the three women and his brother who struggled to control him.

The car stopped short of the group, reversed and drove at Mr Shaduwa when he moved to stand provocatively in the road.

He jumped out of the way and delivered a Kung Fu-style kick to the driver's door window which shattered and sent slivers of glass into one of her eyes, continued Miss Harris.

Nicholls aimed the Honda at him once more when he ran across the road and disappeared into an alleyway without being hit.

The defendant left the vehicle and attacked innocent Chloe Lines and Sherrie Langford, tugging clumps of hair from one while dragging her to the ground and flooring the other with a punch before kicking and stamping on them, explained the prosecutor.

Police arrived soon afterwards to arrest her at around 3am on November 5 2017. She confessed to the officers: 'I lost the plot.'

Both injured women were taken to hospital for treatment for concussion and heavy bruising while each later suffered disturbed sleep and flash backs.

Mr James Tucker, defending, said Nicholls had never hit anyone in anger before and had been 'sickened' by her behaviour. She admitted: 'I deserve to go to prison.'

The lawyer added: "This was an abhorrent and inexplicable aberration. The two victims of the assaults were helping her and she was still friendly towards them immediately before the incident."

Nicholls, from Cwm Road, Argoed, Gwent, pleaded guilty to two assaults, dangerous driving, drink driving and attempting to cause injury. She was sent to prison - and banned from driving for four years on release - by Judge Barry Berlin who told her:

"You went back on the drink for the first time in some time and the alcohol mixed with your medication made a toxic combination. You were completely out of control and acted like a raging beast."