A woman has been jailed for a vicious attack on another woman in a Colchester street.

Linda Franklin was told by a Chelmsford Crown Court judge the attack had been "totally unprovoked" and had left her victim battered and bruised.

"Anyone looking at the photographs of your victim would find it hard to recognise her unless they knew her well," Judge Ben Pearson told Franklin.

"She was totally defenceless in her car when you attacked her and you managed to prise her out, dragging her by her hair and stamping on her head. It was a sustained attack," the judge added.

Franklin, 21, was jailed for four years after she admitted a charge of actual bodily harm on her father's partner, Tina Symes.

Judge Pearson also told her she was a danger to the public especially women.

The court heard Franklin got involved in a row between her sister and Miss Symes over a camcorder.

It became more heated and Miss Symes was hit by Franklin as she sat in her car on February 28 last year.

As she tried to get away from Franklin, Miss Symes got into the passenger seat of the car but Franklin came around the car and dragged her out by the hair and continued the attack, the court heard.

Katherine Bradshaw, mitigating, said Franklin could not explain what had happened.

"She simply lost control of what she was doing," Miss Bradshaw said.

Published Thursday, January 16, 2003

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