Donna Urquhart Sober and Sorry After Bashing Row with Baseball Bat
After more than a month behind bars, Donna Urquhart, 43, showed a new, sober side during her sentencing at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday. The Landport woman faced jail time for swinging a baseball bat in a street brawl but claimed she was defending herself after being attacked with a meat cleaver.
Row In Court as Friend Rips Into Judge Over Jail
Back in December, Urquhart’s drunken courtroom antics landed her in hot water, provoking Judge Ashworth to lock her up. The judge’s decision sparked a foul-mouthed tirade from one of her male friends, who sneered at the judge’s “silly wig” and asked if he was “having a f***ing laugh” over the sentence.
Security swiftly took a half-empty vodka bottle from Urquhart and stepped in to curb the chaos as she was led away, while her friend was kicked out of court. This Friday, Urquhart and Judge Ashworth met again for sentencing.
Judge Warns Urquhart: Quit Booze or Face Worse
Judge Ashworth made no bones about his stance: “I hope you appreciate why I did what I did before.” He warned Urquhart to watch her associates, referring to the man who heckled him. “You can’t parent when you are drunk,” he added.
Instead of jail time, Urquhart was handed an 18-month community order, including an alcohol treatment programme, 20 rehab days, and an electronic tag from 6pm to 6am for two weeks. The judge gave her a final warning: “I am giving you some slack on this but don’t mess me about.”
Street Brawl Over Meat Cleaver Leads to Baseball Bat Attack
The chaotic skirmish broke out on St Faith’s Road, April 9, 2020. Urquhart reportedly brandished a baseball bat, swinging it around in the heat of the moment. Prosecutors said she was accused of hitting a woman, but no such charge stuck.
Urquhart told police she suffered a “large cut to the back of the head” from a meat cleaver attack and insisted she acted in self-defence. “I was assaulted with a meat cleaver and had an injury to my head. I was only using reasonable force to defend myself,” she said.
Her co-defendant, Chloe Rowsell, 22, of St Faith’s Road, previously admitted her role in the fracas. Rowsell received a 12-month community order, 40 hours of unpaid work, and an electronic tag from 7pm to 7am until January 1.
