Woman 'ragged' her love rival up and down the street in brutal taxi rank attack

A woman who "ragged" her love rival up and down the street in a "prolonged and persistent" assault has been jailed.

Rebecca Chisnall, 23, of Newton Road, Parr in St Helens, near Wigan, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing after she pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The court heard there had been a ‘long-standing animosity’ between Chisnall and the victim, mum-of-two Rebecca McGrath.

Both women had been in a relationship with the same man, who had had two children with Miss McGrath. At the time of the assault he was with Chisnall, who falsely accused Miss McGrath of not allowing him to "see his kids."

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Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said the victim had been "out and about" in St Helens town centre on the night in question when the pair first clashed, which resulted in the victim being thrown out of a bar, reports Liverpool ECHO.

They next came in contact with one another in the early hours of the following morning near a taxi rank, when Chisnall grabbed and dragged Miss McGrath to the floor. In video footage of the attack shown in court, she then dragged her across the ground by her hair and continued the assault when the victim tried to get to her feet.

Mr Taylor said: "She (Chisnall) carried on kicking and punching the victim despite being asked to stop. The incident lasted for five minutes and left the victim with a broken nose and two black eyes, along with facial bruising and swelling."

The court was told Chisnall has two earlier convictions for assault, and was nine months into a previous community order when the latest offence took place. In a victim personal statement, Miss McGrath said