According to major media reports, Helen Wilson, Donna Cox, Samantha McDonald, and Dawn Bartley were involved in a broad daylight brawl. The melee erupted when a verbal row between Wilson and Bartley escalated into violence outside The People's Kitchen, with CCTV capturing the incident. A woman was kicked in the face while others were spat upon and yanked by the hair during the fight.
Kicks and blows were continuously delivered to heads and bodies. Bartley's hair was yanked, she was knocked to the ground, and she was spat upon. Prosecutors stated that Wilson struck out initially, leading to a series of physical altercations involving punches, hair-pulling, and spitting.
Bartley was rushed to hospital, where she remained for several days receiving treatment for her injuries, though the specific injuries have not been disclosed. Police raced to the scene and broke up the ongoing fights, detaining several women including Wilson, Bartley, McDonald, and Cox. In court, Bartley and Wilson were both jailed for 16 weeks after admitting to a public order offence.
McDonald received a 16-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, after confessing to the same offence. Cox had her case postponed for a pre-sentence report after admitting to a public order offence and an unrelated burglary offence. Bartley has 21 offences on her record, and her representative noted she accepts she acted unlawfully but has issues dealing with emotions in heightened situations.
The initial cause of the verbal row between Wilson and Bartley remains unknown.