Mum laughs as she walks free from court after taking 'law into her own hands' (2025)

Hollie Weston, 26, attacked Alfie Broadfield-Mellor after she saw a Snapchat video on his phone

A mum who 'took the law into her own hands' after seeing a Snapchat video laughed as she walked free from court.

Hollie Weston, 26, admitted to police that she had punched Alfie Broadfield-Mellor, causing him to bleed, but added "it could have been worse".

Broadfield-Mellor was subjected to a "lengthy and extensive assault" and was found by police officers in Weston's bathroom, bloodied and bruised. The victim also sustained several other injuries not consistent with solely being punched during the incident, but failed to provide any evidence to the police or prosecution.

A crown court judge described the case as "deeply unusual", reports the Liverpool Echo.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday, April 15, that Broadfield-Mellor had been staying at Weston's house, located on Acre Lane in Bromborough. Prosecutor Derek Jones told the court that he was either "a friend or a family friend", but there was no romantic involvement between the two.

The court heard that in the early hours of November 9, 2023, the defendant came across "very upsetting" videos on the victim's Snapchat. Merseyside Police received a call around 7am from a neighbour who reported hearing a woman shouting "please help, please help".

But after arriving at Weston's house, officers found Broadfield-Mellor in her bathroom. Jones stated that the man had clearly been subjected to a "lengthy and extensive assault".

The court heard that he had wounds on his hand and back, as well as several marks on his face.

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Mr Jones said Mr Broadfield-Mellor also had a number of bite marks on him and someone had also "applied white paint" to his face with a paintbrush. When police arrived there were "four or five" other people at the scene. The defendant told arriving officers she had punched the defendant but added "what he did was worse".

Mr Jones told the court that the prosecution "could not say the circumstances that resulted in the serious injuries". The court heard there was an "absence of evidence" from the victim and no one else had been charged in connection with it.

Weston was initially charged with section 18 wounding, but entered a guilty plea to an alternative charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at her plea and trial preparation hearing. The court heard she was previously a woman of good character with no previous convictions.

In mitigation, John Weate, defending, told the court his client had "let her life drift" at the time of the offence and was "taking drugs and drinking too much".

He said she lost her accommodation as a result but has since found new living arrangements. The court heard she has young children who she can now see on an unsupervised basis.

Mr Weate said Weston also had a good relationship with the children's dad. He added that his client had not sought to find employment until she knew what would be happening with her case. He asked for his client to be awarded full credit because of the original charges when she first appeared at magistrates' court.

Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC told Weston: "You were very understandably distressed by what you saw. That does not excuse you from what followed."

He called the incident a "brutal and sustained assault" but added: "The injury you caused was not one that represents the final injuries."

He sentenced Weston, who wore a black blazer and sported black waved hair, to a 12-month community order. He also imposed 25 rehabilitation days. Recorder Pratt told her: "The sentence is very specific to the circumstances. The court will never approve of people who take the law into their own hands."

Weston, who now lives on Oteley Avenue in Bromborough, thanked the judge before laughing and celebrating with two supporters as she left the court.