A DRUNKEN attack on a motorist who ran out of petrol outside her house has left a woman jobless and facing the repossession of her home.

Louise Hilton, 39, of Rossmore Road West, admitted assaulting Karen Ravenscroft on May 6 after Miss Ravenscroft parked on a verge outside her house while her son filled her car with petrol.

Appearing at Chester and Ellesmere Port Magistrates Court on Monday, Hilton also admitted refusing to provide a specimen of breath or blood for analysis after being arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol shortly before the assault.

Rob Youds, prosecuting, described how Miss Ravenscroft was travelling along Rossmore Road West when she realised she had run out of petrol and pulled over to the side of the road.

She stayed in her vehicle and called her son, Sam Ravenscroft, who lives nearby to come and help.

He arrived shortly afterwards and began to fill the tank.

Mr Youds said: “While this was going on Miss Ravenscroft noticed the defendant exiting her house and getting into a 4x4 before reversing and then parking on a verge, all the time gesturing at Miss Ravenscroft to move out of the way.”

Hilton then got out of her vehicle and began to abuse her.

She shouted: “You were parked outside my house, fancy running out of petrol, you blonde bimbo.”

She then barged into her victim with her chest and said ‘Come on then, I’m two foot taller than you’, to which Miss Ravenscroft replied ‘And two foot wider’.

Hilton then grabbed her and dragged her to the floor while she struggled to get free.

Mr Ravenscroft ran over and pulled Hilton off his mother, who suffered scratches to her neck and chest, a graze to her nostril and later claimed that a bunch of her hair had been yanked out in the attack.

When police arrived at Hilton’s address she claimed to have started drinking only after the incident but refused to cooperate with police officers over providing a specimen.

She pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen at a hearing on May 28 and changed her not guilty plea to the assault charge on the day of the proposed trial in August.

Mark Evans, defending, said Hilton hadn’t consumed any alcohol since the day of the incident and felt a deep sense of shame at her actions.

He said: “I think it’s the measure of a person not when they’ve made a mistake but what they do once the mistake has been made.

He told the court that Hilton, who lost her job after receiving an interim driving ban in August, now faced huge personal debt and repossession of her home.

Mr Evans described how Hilton had fallen in with a group of single friends that spent a lot of free time drinking and had fallen into a cycle of alcohol abuse.

He added: “She feels her life has been destroyed, which she blames herself for.”

Magistrates banned Hilton from driving for three years and ordered her to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work in the community for the assault charge and a further 80 hours for failing to provide a specimen.

She was also ordered to pay £150 compensation to Miss Ravenscroft and £200 court costs.