Sisters Jailed for ‘Brutal and Cowardly’ Attack That Left Woman Nearly Blind

Scarborough, UK — Three sisters and their friend have been jailed following a vicious and unprovoked attack on a 51-year-old woman in the centre of Scarborough, which left her nearly blind and suffering severe injuries.

The assault, described by a judge as “brutal, unprovoked and cowardly,” took place in October 2023 and concluded with sentencing at York Crown Court on Friday.

Toni Patterson, 32, was sentenced to eight years in prison, while her younger sister, Ellie Patterson, 20, received seven years and three months in a Young Offenders Institute.

Their friend, Tania Stott, 35, was jailed for one year. The youngest sister, Abbie Patterson, 19, was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, for her role in the incident.

All four women admitted affray, with Toni and Ellie Patterson additionally pleading guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm.

“Disgusting Violence”

The attack occurred in the early hours of 23 October 2023, following a confrontation outside Chaplin’s bar on St Thomas Street. The group had been refused entry to the bar after Ellie Patterson was denied access due to a previous ban.

Prosecutor Vince Blake-Barnard told the court that CCTV footage showed Toni and Ellie Patterson assaulting the victim after a verbal dispute about a street sign being kicked over.

The video revealed the sisters pulling the victim’s hair, punching her, and continuing the assault as she lay unconscious. Stott, who was initially inside the bar, emerged to kick the victim while she was on the ground.

Although Abbie Patterson attempted to intervene at times, the judge noted that she also provided verbal support to her sisters during the attack.

The victim, who was born blind in her left eye, was taken to hospital with a broken eye socket, a brain bleed, and severe injuries to her right eye, leaving her unable to move it vertically.

In a victim impact statement read in court, she described her devastation at losing her independence and ability to work as a carer.

“My life will never be the same,” the statement read. “I grieve daily for my old self.”

Mitigation and Sentencing

In mitigation, the court heard that the Patterson sisters had been deeply affected by the loss of their mother and grandmother during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was cited as a factor in their previous convictions for violence.

Additionally, Toni Patterson is a single mother of two children with developmental disabilities, while Stott is seven weeks pregnant and also has a child with special needs.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hickey condemned the attack as a “sickening display of violence,” emphasizing the life-altering consequences for the victim, who is now “physically damaged for life, mentally scarred for life.”

Detective Paul Thompson of North Yorkshire Police commended the victim’s courage, stating, “She must now face the future almost blind, not to mention the psychological trauma she has endured through no fault of her own.”

The case has sparked widespread outrage, with local residents expressing shock at the severity of the attack and the devastation inflicted on the victim’s life.