A woman has avoided jail after hurling racial abuse and spitting at strangers going about their day. Jenna-Anne Ward attacked two men in Cardiff city centre with no provocation.
Ward, 53, targeted the first victim on October 1 last year at Greggs bakery in Central Square. The mixed-race 21-year-old man noticed Ward following him out of the shop, Cardiff Magistrates' Court heard.
Prosecutor Emily Jermin said: "The defendant started to shout at him. He was wearing headphones, which he removed, and heard her say something about him walking past her. She stated: 'Look at you, you don't even know the colour of your own skin.'
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"She told him to f*** off and spat in his direction. In response he threw his food in her direction in an attempt to get her to leave but she retaliated by throwing her coffee at him. She continued to follow him towards the Vue cinema and only left him when police were called."
Officers arrested Ward and took her into custody. She did not deny the abuse but appeared to answer questions "sarcastically" and to "mock" the allegations.
Ward appeared in court on Friday after pleading guilty to racially-aggravated assault. She also admitted two charges over another incident – assault and racially-aggravated disorder – which took place on November 15 in St Mary Street. Those offences were not outlined in detail during Friday's sentencing but the court heard they involved punching and spitting at a second man who had done nothing to provoke Ward.
The defendant, of Bishopston Road in Caerau, has 13 previous convictions for 26 offences including battery and a public order offence. She was under a suspended prison sentence and a community order at the time of her latest attacks.
Her lawyer Will Marsh said she was twice sectioned under the Mental Health Act close to the time of the new offences. "I've only met her in recent weeks but she appears to be a very different individual to the one whose appalling behaviour was witnessed in the city centre on two separate occasions," he added.
Mr Marsh described his client as feeling "threatened" when she committed the offences, having "got the wrong idea about the way people were dealing with her". He said she was "deeply ashamed".
"I've had to explain to her this morning that she is at real risk today of receiving an immediate prison sentence, not least because she's in breach of a suspended jail term," he said. "She didn't start offending until she was 35 years of age. That's a rarity as far as the criminal justice system is concerned. Sadly since that time there has been regular offending."
Calling for a new suspended sentence Mr Marsh went on: "She has had treatment and she is willing to cooperate with the probation service. She knows that if she misbehaves and causes great offence in the city centre again there is only one thing that will happen to her in the future."
Deputy District Judge Charlotte Murphy did not activate Ward's suspended sentence. She said the defendant spat at two "innocent members of the public simply going about their lives" but she added: "It's quite clear from what I've read that at the time of the offences you were extremely unwell."
The judge imposed a 15-week jail term suspended for a year. The mother of the man targeted in the earlier attack told WalesOnline she was disappointed by the sentence for the "appalling" behaviour. "It's a good thing I wasn't there [on the day of the attack]," she said. "I wouldn't have had that, especially directed towards my son. I don't feel it's a fair sentence. She had breached a suspended sentence and there are a lot of offences on her record. I firmly feel she should have have gone to prison."
Her son added: "It's been a long time since it happened so I'm happy to move on." He will receive £100 in compensation from Ward while the other victim will get £200. The defendant must also complete 20 rehab activity days and pay a £128 victim services surcharge, £85 in prosecution costs, and a £50 fine. Ward, who relies on benefits, will pay £20 a month. You can read more news from Welsh courts here.
