Two women who beat up a pensioner in her own flat

Two women who beat up a pensioner in her own flat in a drunken orgy of violence have both been locked up for five years.

Simone Hurley, 39, and Karen Bernard, 43, pinned pensioner Sheila Riley, 60, to her sofa while they punched and kicked her.

They broke three of her ribs and slashed her face, leaving her bleeding and unconscious, before resuming drinking in a local pub.

The attack followed a booze-fuelled row between the three women at the victim’s home in Dawes Road, Streatham.

A jury at Blackfriars Crown Court convicted Hurley and Bernard of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

Bernard of Frank Soskice House, and Hurley, of Pringle Gardens, both in Streatham, denied the charge.

Sentencing the pair for the attack the judge, Mr Recorder Lindsay Burn told the pair:

‘Both of you were convicted by a jury of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

‘This was a deliberate attack in my judgement, having seen both of you give evidence.

‘You went round there intending to beat her up.

Both of you had been drinking, but it was quite clear both of you knew what you were doing.

‘She too was affected by drink and could not defend herself.

This was a joint enterprise, each of you inflicting serious physical damage.

‘You punched and kicked her repeatedly,’ the judge said.

‘You left her lying unconscious bleeding heavily.

‘Both of you simply walked out of the flat leaving her in that state.

‘

Hurley was a woman of previous good character while Bernard had previous convictions for violence.

But the judge took into account that Hurley turned to drink following the death of her daughter.

Bernard and Hurley, were both sentenced to five years jail for the attack which took place on 21 January this year.

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