House party guest who glassed neighbour over music noise complaint sentenced

Adele Jepson (37), of Highfield Avenue, Kiveton Park, attacked Rosie Hodgson following an altercation at the house party.

Jepson was given an 18-week jail term suspended for 12-months at Sheffield Crown Court last Thursday (10) after admitting assault occasioning actual bodily harm at a previous hearing.

Ms Kath Goddard, prosecuting, said Miss Hodgson had returned home from work at around 10pm on June 19 last year.

“When she got home she realised her next door neighbour, a friend of this defendant, was having a party,” she said.

“At that point, the complainant was not in any way concerned.

“The party finished about an hour later, at about 11 o’clock at night.

“The complainant went to bed but was awoken in the early hours of the morning by very loud music.

“She went downstairs and hoped it would stop, but it did not.

“She went next door and asked if it could be turned down.

“It was, albeit briefly, and when she went back home the music resumed at an even louder level.”

Miss Hodgson returned next door and asked for the music to be turned down again.

“At this point, the defendant, who was a guest at the house, made her presence known,” said Ms Goddard.

Jepson then punched Miss Hodgson, who retaliated and punched back.

Ms Goddard said Miss Hodgson then felt “a sharp pain” and was “bleeding heavily”, Ms Goddard said.

“It was a single blow delivered at the time when the defendant had a glass in her hand,” the prosecutor added.

Miss Hodgson had been left with a cut on the bridge of her nose, cuts to her face and red eyes.

Jepson admitted glassing Miss Hodgson, but claimed it was not deliberate.

In a victim impact statement, Miss Hodgson said she had lived at the address for 15 years and now felt she could not complain about loud music again for fear of reprisals.

Mr Dermot Hughes, mitigating, said it had been “completely out of character” and Jepson had either reacted to being punched or it had been a “flash of anger”.

He said: “It’s all very unfortunate and it is two women who should know better.”

Mr Hughes said Jepson’s children, aged ten and 12, would suffer if their mother was jailed.

Sentencing Jepson, Judge Robert Moore said: “Striking a person in the face with a glass that breaks on impact is a serious crime — so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified.

“But because of your personal circumstances I have been persuaded to suspend that sentence.”