Former hotel worker Claire Hindley was jailed for 2 years and made the subject of a five year restraining order
An unruly daughter, who used her Dr Martens boots to repeatedly stamp on her elderly father after he berated her for getting drunk and frittering away money, has been jailed for two years.
Former hotel worker Claire Hindley, 36, went berserk at widower Keith Hindley after he said: ‘What happens to your brain when you get money? You just lose it’ when she returned empty handed from a shopping trip.
During the savage attack in Wythenshawe, Manchester, father of three Mr Hindley, 63, was stamped on or kicked up to 15 times before his daughter attempted to assault with him with a hammer and then a sledgehammer.
She fled the house, she had been temporarily sharing with the victim, after biting the palm of his left hand and throwing a meat pie in his face.
Mr Hindley who suffers from numerous illnesses and who had previously suffered four strokes was later treated in hospital for multiple abrasions and cuts over the face and head, swelling and bruising to the right eye and nose.
He also had bruising to the right upper chest and a small laceration from the bite wound. He told police had been assaulted and bitten on a previous occasion by his daughter which occurred just 24 hours after his late wife Julie passed away.
At Manchester Crown Court, Hindley admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and unlawful wounding. The attacks occurred between September and November after she moved back in with her father at his flat in Wythenshawe.
Prosecutor Neil Fryman said: ‘The defendant has been staying there due to splitting up from her partner and also following the death of his wife – her mother.
Pictured is Keith Hindley (right) and his late wife Julie (left). Mr Hindley who suffers from numerous illnesses and who had previously suffered four strokes was later treated in hospital for multiple abrasions and cuts over the face and head, swelling and bruising to the right eye and nose
‘He had allowed her to stay hoping she would change her ways and also so she could look after him. But only the day after his wife died, the defendant bit him on his left forearm after she came home in the early hours.
‘She had been drinking and was being verbally aggressive and an altercation ensued where he was having to hold her down on the couch. She bit him on the arm and he injured his finger holding her down during the incident. She also kicked and heeled him on his head.
‘The victim chose not to pursue matters then and he continued to let the defendant stay at his home. He had thought he needed her to look after him.
‘In October 2019 the victim was having a drink of brandy and lemonade his other daughter Victoria had got him. He didn’t drink often, the last time being at his wife’s funeral and he sent Claire to the shop with £10 to get herself something to drink.
‘The defendant left but didn’t return until 10.30 pm without the drink or the money. She did not like it when he confronted her about not getting drink and about the excuse she gave.
‘She left again … at 1am on Friday, 1 November the defendant returned, and he opened the door for her. He told her she needed to behave herself if she was to continue living there but she didn’t like being told what to do. At that point she went for him.
‘She grabbed him using both her hands on the front of his t-shirt. She started hitting him and he grabbed her. He fell to the floor. He was unsteady on his feet anyway having previously suffered four strokes.
‘She then started kicking him to the head, face and body and used the heel of her Doc Marten boots.
‘Mr Hindley managed to sit half-way up but the defendant grabbed a little hammer that was in the kitchen and tried unsuccessfully to hit him with it. He managed to grab it off her but she then picked up a sledgehammer that was on the side, which had been used to hold down the cover over his late wife’s mobility scooter.
At Manchester Crown Court, Claire Hindley (pictured right) admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and unlawful wounding
‘She couldn’t manage to lift the sledgehammer properly but brought it down on his stomach, albeit not very hard. She bit him on the left hand too that night and threw a pie at him from the microwave before leaving the house via the backdoor continuing being verbally aggressive.
‘He said he had grabbed her to stop her and might have scratched her in the process, where he had long nails. He had also pulled her hair and banged her head against a wall or door to stop her and to defend himself. Afterwards he rang his other daughter and his son but on getting no answer he rang the police and reported the incident.
‘He went to hospital for treatment and was discharged with antibiotics in relation to the bite.’
When she was arrested Hindley told police: ‘What about what he’s done to me?’ and pulled the neck of her sweatshirt down but she had no signs of injury. She later claimed her father was the aggressor, went for her first and was holding her down on the floor as she was kicking him to the face to try and get him off her.
She also claimed her father grabbed her by the throat and claimed injuries she caused to him were as a result of self-defence.
In mitigation defence barrister Estelle Parkhouse said: ‘Her family unit was complex and at times dysfunctional, but of course that does not excuse her actions.
‘She wants to better herself and does not wish to go back to the life she was leading. The first incident happened the day after her mother died, she was suffering from grief and was in drink and her judgement was impaired.
‘The current pandemic has made her reflect on her relationship with the father. Her sister Victoria has asked her to resume contact and she is delighted with that. Her father also wishes to retain contact over the phone. She has shown genuine remorse.’
But sentencing Judge Richard Mansell QC told Hindley: ‘Your father has clearly found this whole sorry episode very difficult. He has tried to do his best by you, notwithstanding the fact that you have problems with drink and violence. But you showed no remorse on your arrest and were more concerned about the scratches you sustained. You accused your father of telling lies whilst it was you who was being aggressive.’
Hindley was also made subject of a five year restraining order preventing her from going to her father’s home. But the order will allows them to have contact on the phone.