A WOMAN trying to steal from a parked car was challenged by the daughter of the owner, who was carrying a plastic baseball bat for protection, a court heard.

But Julie Jones made a grab for the bat, held at one side by the householder, and then used it, herself, to repeatedly strike her over the head.

Durham Crown Court was told Jones, who kept muttering that she was doing the other woman ‘a favour’, initially asked her what she was going to do with the bat, before prising it from her and landing the first blow.

Shaun Dryden, prosecuting, said she hit her five or six more times over the head, before also punching the innocent woman in the face.

The victim was left bloodied, with a cut to her forehead, a lump on the back of the head, plus other grazes and bruises. Her forehead remains scarred.

Mr Dryden said although several items were found to be missing from the car, Jones only accepted taking a cake bar.

The court was told the victim woke at her home in Seaside Lane, Easington Colliery, by the sound of a car door opening outside, at 4.30am, on September 20.

She saw a figure leaning into her mother’s car, and, going out to investigate, she took the plastic bat for self-defence, which was used on her by Jones.

Mr Dryden said Jones later told police she was initially struck by the householder, but claimed she took the bat, “from the girl” and used it to hit her on the leg.

Appearing recently before magistrates, however, the 34-year-old defendant, of West Avenue, Easington Colliery, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and theft from the vehicle.

The crown court sentencing hearing was told she has 45 convictions for 88 offences, virtually all for dishonesty.

Neil Bennett, mitigating, said her behaviour that morning was affected as she had taken a number of Valium pills.

“Those who have long-standing addictions to substances often turn to things like Valium to deal with their need for a fix.

“Therefore, she has little recollection of events and no longer maintains she was assaulted.

“She has an extremely poor record, almost exclusively offences of a dishonest nature, due to a long-standing addictions to drugs.”

Mr Bennett said it was, “a sorry state”, but added that Jones has accessed support from the drug support team while in custody.

Imposing a one-year prison sentence, Judge Jonathan Carroll said Jones might reflect that it was “not worth it”, to end up behind bars, having stolen only a cake bar from the car.