Mum repeatedly punched rival parent on school run over 'bum-patting' incident

An angry school mum who violently attacked another parent in front of children has narrowly avoided a jail sentence.

Jade Valentine, 28, was on a school run when she jumped out of her car and punched the rival mother in the street following a petty row.

The mother-of-two was handed a 12-month community order in March 2020 for the attack, which prosecutors branded "pathetic" and "childish", PlymouthLive reports.

She was warned she could face a prison sentence in August after she only did a fraction of the unpaid work and failed to keep in touch with probation.

Valentine, of Budshead Road, Whitleigh, admitted she had breached the community order.

Judge Linford extended Valentine's community order and deferred sentencing in August and again in October to give her time to catch up on the work.

Jade Valentine walks from court after being sentenced for attacking another mum on the school run (Stuart Abel)

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Judge Linford extended the order and deferred sentencing in August and then again in October to give her time to catch up with the work.

He warned her that if she missed a single appointment without good reason she would go to prison.

Judge Linford told the latest hearing that probation had reported she was now doing the work.

He told her: "I told you what was expected of you and you did what was expected. If you give consent I will extend the order until September 3."

Valentine agreed to continue working with probation.

She had pleaded guilty to assaulting the woman causing actual bodily harm on May 16 2019.

Valentine was ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work in March 2020 but had only done 14 by August the following year - despite the order being extended for the first time to give her a chance.

A simmering dispute between the women had started when one child patted another’s backside, the court heard that March.

The prosecuting barrister said Valentine got out of her car, with a child strapped in the back, to “launch a number of punches” at the other mum.

He added that the victim suffered a "number of bumps and bruises" and "hair-pulling" was involved.