A DRUNK mum forced to walk home at night because she racially abused a taxi driver attacked her partner and then assaulted his child, throwing him on to a concrete path.

The seven-year-old boy, who was still in his pyjamas, suffered a serious facial wound, which had to be repaired under general anaesthetic at Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary.

At the city’s crown court, the woman admitted an actual bodily harm assault, an assault by beating, and threatening to damage property. Prosecutor Brendan Burke outlined the woman's offending, though she cannot be named for legal reasons.

In early July last year, she and her partner went into Carlisle to celebrate a friend’s birthday while their children – all of primary school age – were looked after by a relative.

During the taxi journey home, the woman racially abused the driver of the cab, who then refused to take them any further. “They had to walk the rest of the way,” said Mr Burke.

“The defendant was argumentative as they entered their house and began causing trouble straight away."

First, the woman verbally abused her partner’s mother, who refused to accept this and left, though as she did so, the defendant threw something at the woman. A neighbour saw the object bounce off the woman’s head.

Returning into the house the defendant pushed her partner around, and attempted to gouge his eye, causing a laceration. Lawyers chose to characterise that violence as an assault by beating rather than actual bodily harm assault, said Mr Burke.

The woman then went upstairs and woke her children, marching them down the stairs and telling them: “Get out of my house.” The seven-year-old was seen “hovering for security” near to his father, who sat on the front step smoking.

The barrister said: “The defendant came up behind [the child], and picked him up and threw him clear over his father’s head and on to the concrete path.

“A neighbour described that action as it being like she was throwing a rag doll. She saw the child slam on to the concrete.” The boy suffered a gaping wound above his right eye, which had to operated on.

The defendant’s shouting and screaming woke the neighbours.

One man who lives nearby went over to the remonstrate with the defendant, describing her as initially seeming “emotionless.” She then began crying, which the neighbour believed was fabricated. She attempted to blame her partner, claiming she was a victim of domestic violence.

Mr Burke said that was a lie.

“Because [the neighbour] had the nerve to challenge her,” continued Mr Burke, “her mood changed from crocodile tears to aggression. She said [the neighbour] had better watch his cars as they were going to get damaged.

"She said one of them would get scratched up.”

When the police arrived, the woman’s partner was “evasive” and it was the injured boy’s younger sibling who took officers to a bedroom where they found the young victim, sobbing as blood oozed from his facial wound on to his pyjamas.

The neighbours later said they were now considering moving away because of the defendant’s volatile behaviour. The child’s birth mother said that before the attack, her son was a happy child, interested in numbers and games.

He was doing well at school.

“Since this, he has changed,” said the woman. The boy was now prone to violent outbursts. The court heard that the defendant has a criminal record that includes a racially aggravated common assault, thefts, a public order crime.

Marion Weir, defending, said what happened had a significant impact on all involved. “She has undertaken work with a number of different agencies,” said the barrister.

The woman’s background included the loss of a child, for whom she was yet to grieve, and a serious assault when she was a teenager.

The barrister said: “All of this, taken together, clearly had a cumulative effect on her mental health. The offence was brought about through abuse of alcohol.”

Judge Nicholas Barker said the woman – weeping throughout the hearing - had “turned her anger” first towards her partner. The way she treated him was in itself deeply concerning. “But that was not where it ended,” said the judge. Her assault on the boy left him with a “deeply unpleasant injury.”

It was a younger sibling who after the assault led police to the bedroom and the injured boy, pointed out the judge.

Judge Barker said that the woman had demonstrated a “degree of remorse,” though he was concerned by her rejected assertion that she was victim of domestic abuse. He noted also that she was working with agencies to address her problems.

The judge told the woman: “There is undoubtedly a prospect of rehabilitation, and you undoubtedly have difficulties and challenges that can be worked with.

“However...an assault of this nature on a child of seven, who was in your care, where the injury was so significant and the violence was so significant, in my judgement appropriate punishment can only be achieved by an immediate custodial sentence.”

He jailed her for 20 months.

Judge Barker also imposed a restraining order, banning any contact with the child she attacked.