A Newton Aycliffe woman who knocked out a bouncer, mowed down a pregnant woman, and sank her teeth into a police officer has been locked up.
Megan Gibson, 26, was already known to police, having offences of violence on her record from her teens, before the shocking spate of incidents.
The defendant appeared at Durham Crown Court on Thursday, March 19, for sentence via court video link from Low Newton Prison.
Shaun Dodds, prosecuting, said the offences began with a joint assault, with a male co-accused, after they were escorted from a boxing event at The Big Club in Newton Aycliffe, at 10.30pm on April 14, 2023.
Gibson was heard to shout: “Watch what happens now”, before they ran back in, half-an-hour later, when she approached a bouncer, punching and stamping on her several times, knocking her unconscious.
Bystanders ran to the aid of the victim who suffered head aches, pain and nausea afterwards.
While on bail over that incident, Gibson was driving her car in Shildon, on August 15, 2023, when she spotted a woman passenger in a passing car, with whom she had a previous online row.
While approaching a roundabout on Spout Lane, Gibson gestured to the other woman to get out of the car she was travelling in, which she did.
As she stood on a grass verge, the defendant drove at her, knocking her to the ground, before speeding away.
Mr Dodds said the victim, who was in the early stages of pregnancy, was taken to hospital in Durham suffering back pain and other injuries to her knees and the rest of her body.
The court heard the incident left her traumatised, fearing for the health of her unborn child, to whom she has since safely given birth.
She is said to feel lucky the now young child has not suffered any effects from the incident.
Gibson was arrested four days later and taken into custody.
But, having again been granted bail, she failed to attend a subsequent court sentencing hearing for the club attack and was the subject of a bench warrant.
Mr Dodds said police attended a report of a disturbance at a house in Darlington, on August 21, last year and the defendant was found hiding under a bed in an upstairs room.
The court heard she refused to come out, threatening police, claiming to be armed with ammonia spray, a petrol bomb and a knife.
When officers began to pull her from under the bed she bit the hand of one of them, but it did not pierce the skin due to the gloves he was wearing.
Gibson, of Clanny Road, Newton Aycliffe, was before the court for three offences of assault causing actual bodily harm, one of which was with the intention of resisting arrest, and for dangerous driving.
She admitted all charges.
She was said to have seven past convictions for 12 offences, including battery and common assault as a youth offender.
Kate Barnes, in mitigation, said at the time of the offences in 2023 the defendant was abusing drugs and alcohol, on which she later relapsed last year.
Miss Barnes described the offences as “inexcusable”, but said they were representative of the defendant’s, “behavioural and thinking difficulties”.
She said Gibson had a difficult upbringing and has previously been the victim of domestic violence.
Miss Barnes said the defendant suffers unstable personality disorder, ADHD, anxiety and depression, and her behaviour is further disinhibited by her misuse of alcohol and drugs.
But she said she is now clean of drink and drugs following the months spent on remand in the women’s prison in Durham.
Judge Jo Kidd said Gibson’s behaviour at the boxing event, at which teenagers were present, was “disgraceful”, while, referring to the roadside incident in Shildon, she told the defendant: “You deliberately drove a vehicle at someone in the street, the equivalent of using a highly dangerous weapon.”
But, having read probation and psychiatric reports, Judge Kidd acknowledged that the defendant had a “traumatic childhood” and has long standing difficulties due to her psychiatric history.
Imposing a total 25-month prison sentence, she also banned Gibson from driving for two years, upon her release from custody.
The defendant must then pass an extended re-test if she is to lawfully drive again following expiry of the ban.
Source – Northern Echo
