Trio jailed over 'brutal' street attack on woman

Two sisters and their friend have been jailed over what a judge described as a "brutal, unprovoked and cowardly attack" on a woman which left her "virtually blind".

Ellie Patterson, 20, and Toni Patterson, 32, each admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm and affray over the attack in the centre of Scarborough in October 2023.

Their sister, Abbie Patterson, 19, and friend Tania Stott, 35, each admitted affray for their involvement in the attack on the woman, 51, who was unknown to the group.

At York Crown Court on Friday, Toni Patterson was jailed for eight years, Ellie Patterson was sentenced to seven years and three months in a Young Offenders Institute, and Stott was jailed for a year.

Meanwhile, Abbie Patterson was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

The court had heard that earlier on the night of the incident, the women had tried to enter Chaplin's bar on St Thomas Street.

However, they were refused entry as Ellie Patterson had been barred over a previous incident, prompting all four to be abusive to door staff.

In CCTV footage shown to the court, Toni and Ellie Patterson were then seen at about 01:30 GMT on 23 October attacking the victim, pulling her hair and hitting her in the face, following a verbal exchange over a sign on the street being kicked over.

An onlooker and the victim's partner were seen trying to pull the pair away, but they continued to attack the woman after she fell to the ground, kicking her and stomping on her head, even after she had fallen unconscious.

Stott, who was inside the bar when the attack began, then came outside and also kicked the victim while she was unconscious, as the youngest Patterson sister tried to intervene.

The victim, who the court heard was born blind in her left eye, was taken to hospital with injuries, including bruising and bleeding to her brain, a broken eye socket and severe injuries to her right eye.

Vince Blake-Barnard, prosecuting, told the court the victim was no longer able to move her right eye up or down.

She had been left "scared to go out" and was no longer able to do her job as a carer or look after her grandchild.

The woman's victim impact statement, which was read out in court, stated: "I'm feeling useless. I can't look after myself anymore, never mind someone else."

"My life will never be the same. I grieve daily for my old self," she added.

The court heard in mitigation that the Patterson sisters had been severely affected by the death of their mother and grandmother during the Covid period.

After that, Toni and Ellie Patterson had each been convicted of other violent offences.

The court was also told that the oldest sister was a single mother to two children with developmental disabilities.

Meanwhile, the court heard that Tania Patterson was seven weeks pregnant and already had a son with developmental disabilities.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Simon Hickey said: "This was a brutal, unprovoked and cowardly attack on a 51-year-old lady who was already blind in one eye."

The victim had been "physically damaged for life, mentally scarred for life", he said.

The judge added that while he acknowledged Abbie Patterson had at times tried to stop the others from attacking their victim, she had also at times "lent verbal support" to the group.

Speaking after the women were sentenced, investigating officer Paul Thompson, from North Yorkshire Police, said there was "simply no excuse whatsoever" for their actions.

"The very least they could do was to plead guilty to this disgusting act of unprovoked violence," he said.

He added that he "applauded" the victim's bravery.

"She must now face the future almost blind, not to mention the psychological trauma she has endured through no fault of her own," he said.

"The four women are now rightly facing the consequences of their behaviour."

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