Woman who punched and spat on shoppers in Belfast Primark jailed

A woman who punched and spat on shoppers inside a Belfast city centre store has been jailed for three months.

Mary Ward, 20, launched attacks on the two female victims on the escalators at the reopened Primark.

Ward, of Annadale Flats in the city, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault and disorderly behaviour.

Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard she became violent in Primark’s flagship store on December 8 last year.

Prosecutors said she came up behind two women on the escalators and began to shout abuse at them.

Ward punched one of them, pulled her by the hair and scratched at her face, leaving her with temporary blurred vision.

The second victim was also punched and spat on, according to the prosecution.

Police detained Ward at the front of the store, where she swore at officers and threw herself to the ground while being handcuffed.

Defence solicitor Adrian Harvey acknowledged: “A young female fighting in Primark is totally inappropriate.”

He added: “She has apologised for her behaviour, there was no prevarication about admitting her guilt.”

Passing sentence, District Judge Steven Keown confirmed: “There will be three months custody.”

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