Bride-to-be and daughter break girl’s nostril as hen social gathering turns to ugly brawl
Donna Ellis and Elisa Smith punched and kicked victim until she lost consciousness outside The Black Garter pub, leaving her with broken nose and fractured septum
Donna Ellis broke a woman’s nose after her own hen party turned into a brawl(Image: Police Handout)
A mum has been sentenced to prison for breaking a woman’s nose during her hen night with her daughter. Donna Ellis and her daughter Elisa Smith had been out on the lash on August 10 in 2024, celebrating Ellis’ impending nuptials.
They ended up to Newcastle city centre, where the victim was also present, enjoying a night out with workmates at The Black Garter pub. Whilst having a cigarette outside, she overheard Ellis calling her daughter a s**g, which upset Smith.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that the victim told Ellis to do one, which sparked an aggressive response from Ellis who squared up to her, egging her on for a fight. The victim retorted verbally, causing the situation to spiral.
Ellis then landed a punch on her face and Smith grabbed her, pulling her to the ground, where they both repeatedly punched and kicked her until she blacked out. Both women continued to throw punches and threaten others nearby.
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A bookie’s window was smashed in the ensuing ruckus, which involved a nasty brawl caught on CCTV, reports Chronicle Live.
The police arrived and arrested the mother-daughter duo, with Ellis attempting to headbutt a copper.
The assaulted woman sustained fractures to her nose and septum, which was displaced. She had to undergo a procedure to fix her broken nose.
Smith told the police that her mum often turned nasty when drunk and had called her a s**g, and that the victim had told her not to talk to her like that, leading to the escalation.
In a victim impact statement, the woman revealed she now suffers from headaches due to being punched and stamped on the head, and has developed a fear of large crowds and loud noises. She confessed: “I’m petrified this might happen again.”
She admitted to being fearful of confrontations, experiencing panic attacks, and said it’s impacted her job as a support worker for individuals with mental health problems.
Ellis, 38, with a history of 103 previous convictions, and Smith, 19, with no prior convictions, both residents of Killingworth Avenue, Backworth, North Tyneside, pleaded guilty to assault and affray. Ellis also confessed to charges of assaulting an emergency worker on that day and another occasion.
Ellis received a prison sentence of 29 months, whilst Smith was handed a 13-month suspended sentence for 18 months, along with 200 hours of unpaid work.
Recorder Richard Stubbs described the incident as an “episode of mindless violence”. He stated: “This was a prolonged and persistent assault, including punches and kicks while she was on the floor and, potentially, continuing after she lost consciousness.”
Mark Harrison, representing Ellis, said she regrets her actions, doesn’t remember uttering anything cruel to her daughter, and described the footage of the ensuing violence as a “source of shame to her”. He added that she was a victim of violence during the melee and sustained a facial wound which bled.
Matthew Purves, representing Smith, highlighted her challenging upbringing but noted her qualifications and employment. Regarding the day of the offences, he stated: “It should have been nothing but a joyous event.”
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