A BULLY beat up a mum and daughter, ‘taking it in turns’ to attack them – and even strangling one of them.

The more the pair tried to defend themselves, the worse Michael Ball’s brutal attack became.

He subjected his own family members to the vicious assault all because he had been in a ‘bad mood’ over losing his wallet.

Ball, of Minerva Close, Latchford, appeared before Chester Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty to intentional strangulation, two counts of assaulting a person thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm and obstructing/resisting a constable in execution of duty.

The court heard how Ball is the uncle and brother of the victims and on December 5, he went round to their house and consumed around half a bottle of brandy and red wine.

Prosecutor Sarah Badrawy said that while he was there, he began shouting about the Jewish race and told one of the victims: “At least I was born in this country.”

This turned into an argument before Ball grabbed his niece’s hair and pulled her to the floor.

While she was on the floor, he then kicked her in the stomach.

Ms Badrawy said how the victim’s mum tried to intervene to stop Ball from assaulting her daughter who she feared he was ‘going to kill’.

But Ball then turned on her and smashed a lamp over her head.

Warrington Guardian:

He continued to attack them both and was ‘alternating’ between the two, hitting them, kicking them, and even pouring the contents of a mop bucket over one of them.

While one of Ball’s victims was on the floor, he kicked her in the face and put his boot on her neck which left her struggling to breathe.

The mum and daughter managed to get outside and escape Ball’s vicious attack.

They were both taken to hospital as a result with a number of injuries, including torn ligaments.

In a victim impact statement, the court heard how Ball’s sister ‘cannot get out of her head the image of her daughter being kicked in the stomach’.

She said how she has also been left feeling ‘very vulnerable’ and is still in shock about what happened.

Ms Badrawy said how Ball’s niece is ‘struggling to process’ what occurred and is struggling to understand ‘how someone can hurt family’ in the way that he did.

She also said how the victim feels ‘very anxious’ since the attack and not like herself.

At around 9.25pm that evening, Ball was arrested but became ‘verbally abusive’ resulting in officers using captor spray.

He told them that he was in a ‘bad mood’ and had an alcohol addiction.

Ball has 13 convictions for 25 offences.

Defending, Simon Mintz said: “No one can deny that this is a nasty and prolonged attack.

“Clearly the loss of a wallet is a wholly inadequate situation.

“The attack was a combination of alcohol, epilepsy medication, and the use of an illicit drug.”
Mr Mintz said how Ball has shown ‘genuine expression of remorse’ and has had no convictions since 2010.

Concluding, judge Simon Berkson said: “The reality of this situation is that all your offending took place against two people at the same period of time.

“It was an ugly and aggressive incident fuelled by alcohol and drugs.

“The description of the evidence is sad for all to listen to as it is not in your character to act in a violent way.

“Something snapped in you

“The victims of your crime did not need to suffer in the way that they did because of the loss of your wallet.”

Judge Berkson branded Ball’s behaviour against ‘two defenceless women’ as ‘appalling’.

Ball was handed a two-year and eight-month prison sentence and a 10-year restraining order against the victims.