A woman stabbed a man in the shoulder with a pair of scissors while waiting for food outside a city centre homeless charity.
Julie McAllister was in line at The People's Kitchen in Newcastle city centre when a passing man threw food in her face and spat at her on August 2, last year. The 43-year-old then punched the man, before stabbing him with a pair of scissors in "self-defence".
McAllister appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Monday to be sentenced for possession of an offensive weapon. She pleaded guilty to the charge at a previous hearing.
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Amy Levitt, prosecuting, said McAllister was waiting in line for food outside The People's Kitchen on Bath Lane when a charity volunteer saw a man approach her. "The man threw food in the defendant's face and she threw a punch back, he then spat in her face and threw food again", she said, "the defendant then threw more punches."
The court heard that the volunteer saw that McAllister had a blade in her hand and "brought the blade down on to his shoulder". The man then left the scene with another man he'd turned up with and McAllister was arrested afterwards.
Ms Levitt said a pair of scissors were found in McAllister's bag, which she said she had as she'd been cutting hair in Gateshead, and she told officers she had used them in "self-defence" after being attacked. The court heard McAllister, of Kelso Place, Gateshead, had 16 previous convictions for 25 offences, one of which was for arson in 2016.
Jamie Adams, defending, said McAllister has "been very vulnerable for a many number of years" and had drug abuse issues. He said she is a "very intelligent woman".
Speaking of her previous convictions, he said: "She is determined now to put an end to all of that history. She doesn't want to be mixing with sorts that have brought her to this."
The court was also told that McAllister believes the man who attacked her had been paid to do it by a family member who she had recently reported.
Sentencing her, Judge Adams said McAllister has "clearly been in some difficulty over the last few months" and said he accepted that she had been "effectively attacked" and had sustained a burst lip. He gave her a two year community order and ordered her to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days. He also imposed a nominal £10 fine.
