Witnesham woman Karen Parker jailed for Leiston assault

Karen Parker, who is of Witnesham, near Ipswich, appeared before Ipswich Crown Court for sentencing having been found guilty of falsely imprisoning the victim and assault causing actual bodily harm.

The defendant failed to attend her trial and was convicted in her absence back in June.

An arrest warrant was issued for Parker after the jury returned guilty verdicts for the charges.

Parker's trial had heard that during the victim's ordeal she was dragged around the flat in the east Suffolk town by her hair and punched in the face by the defendant.

The attack caused injuries to her mouth and eye.

At one stage Parker, who was drinking alcohol, offered the girl a drink but she had turned her down and told the defendant she was only 15.

The jury was told Parker then became aggressive and assaulted her after saying: "It's all your fault."

Parker locked a teenager in a flat in Leiston (Image: Suffolk police)

When the girl screamed for help through an open window, Parker had put her hand over her mouth and grabbed her by the throat and told her she would throw her out of the window if she wanted to leave.

Following her arrest, Parker denied being violent towards the girl and claimed she had tried to restrain her after she drank gin and had become aggressive when she was challenged about it.

Parker, who has more than 50 previous convictions, had been due to be sentenced in late August but the hearing was adjourned.

She has now been jailed for 26 months.