A SINGLE mum whose brutal street fight with another woman was posted on YouTube has received a ‘nights out ban’.
Lisa Marie Smithies, 21, whose part in a horrifying late-night Burnley brawl was filmed on a mobile phone, has been stopped from going out every weekend evening for three months by magistrates.
Unemployed Smithies was handed a night-time weekend curfew by Burnley magistrates after they were shown shocking footage of the fight, which left the mum-of-one unconscious and with black eyes and bruising. She also needed seven stitches to her lip.
Magistrates told her they were imposing the sentence so that she was not ‘let loose’ in the town centre when other people were trying to enjoy themselves After the case, the town’s council leader and a ward councillor said Smithies had been lucky to escape jail.
Smithies, of Dalton Street, Burnley, had admitted using threatening and abusive language and behaviour. She was also ordered to pay £350 costs.
Magistrates were shown the “appalling” one-and-a-half minute video clip but were told Smithies was trying to help a friend who had been attacked, although her intervention had gone “horribly, horribly wrong”.
Chairman of the bench Neil Beecham said that, although Smithies’ part in the fight was not pre-meditated and she had been provoked, it was alcohol-related and she had herself thrown punches.
Imposing the curfew and £50 costs, he added: “You will not now be let loose in town when everybody else is out drinking and thoroughly enjoying themselves.”
The clip was filmed by an unnamed bystander at around 1am on May 29.
Andrew Robinson, prosecuting, said the fight had first been spotted by an off-duty police officer but they moved further up the road when he intervened.
What followed was what was seen on the YouTube video, added Mr Robinson.
He went on: “We see both women grabbing one another and rolling around on the floor, with no one getting the upper hand.
“Then we see Lisa Smithies getting the upper hand and [then the other girl] does.”
He said the other girl had then rained down punches on Smithies and eventually knocked her unconscious.
Defending, David Leach said Smithies fully accepted that her behaviour had been unacceptable.
But she had only waded into the confrontation after the other girl attacked Smithies’ friend, he said.
He said Smithies accepted she was drunk and said she was “angry with herself”.
However, after she was knocked unconscious the other girl had continued the fight.
“We would expect of anyone involved in a fight that once they realise someone is unconscious, they would withdraw,” he added.
“But we have seen the way that [ the other girl] had to be dragged away by two individuals but she then kicked Miss Smithies.”
Magistrates were told Smithies was a single mother on income support and Mr Leach said she had been provoked into the fight with Jackson.
Afterwards, Smithies spoke of her relief after dodging a jail term.
She said: “I am happy with the sentence because I thought I was going to prison - from the video I was expecting that.
“I would not fight again like that and I do regret it but I went in to fight for my friend.”
And she added: “I was crying the first time I saw it on YouTube - I was so embarrassed.”
However, Burnley Council leader Gordon Birtwistle said: “The magistrates do what they do but they should have handed out something a little bit stronger.
“It would have been nice if they had gone for something to deter other people.”
And Coun Bill Bennett, whose ward covers the area where the fight took place, said: “I was expecting a more severe punishment.
“I would have thought that a custodial sentence would have been a better option. It is not normal behaviour and I think you should be punished if you step out of line.”
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