A care home worker said to be a “peacemaker” by nature has been convicted of assaulting a woman outside a Didcot pub.

Dana Lovelock, 35, who has now been sacked from her job as a carer at The Meadows in Britwell Road, carried out the attack along with Danielle Aplin outside The Crown pub on July 4 last year.

Aplin, 24 of Colborne Road, Didcot, admitted kicking Kayleigh Clark and was handed a three-month suspended sentence at Oxford Magistrates’ Court in November.

Mum-of-two Lovelock, of Queensway, told a jury at Oxford Crown Court she tried to be a peacemaker in the incident.

Our top stories

Defence barrister Andrew Storch said Lovelock had previously been given a fixed penalty notice for swearing at a police officer, but he said her nature was generally that of a “peacemaker”.

But the jury decided she had attacked the woman and she was convicted of causing actual bodily harm.

Lovelock, who grew up in Didcot, was sentenced on Wednesday.

Judge Gordon Risius gave her an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years, during which time she must stay in touch with an officer. He ordered her to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work in the next year and gave her a 12-month supervision requirement.

She was also told to pay her victim, Ms Clark, £250 compensation.

Judge Risius said: “This was a sustained and repeated assault carried out by two of you and involved kicking. Even if that was not by you, it still involved great harm.

“Alcohol was plainly an aggravating factor but your previous unblemished character means I can reduce your sentence.”

Mr Storch, defending, said that one witness at the trial said it was “possible” Lovelock was “just punching” and not kicking her victim.

He said: “If that was the case, Dana just punched someone and was a subordinate.”

He said the victim’s injuries looked “horrendous” on the night, but he said there was no “lasting damage.”

Lovelock was sacked from her job of 13 years at The Meadows.

A spokeswoman for the home said: “We were shocked to learn of the incident of which she has been found guilty. Following the verdict of the court, according to trust policy, we instigated our standard disciplinary procedures. “Ms Lovelock was immediately suspended from duty and we can confirm that she no longer works for the trust. “Our employees hold positions of great trust and responsibility for the safety and well-being of our residents. This is our highest priority and cannot be put at risk.”

  • Do you want alerts delivered straight to your phone via our WhatsApp service? Text NEWS or SPORT or NEWS AND SPORT, depending on which services you want, and your full name to 07767 417704. Save our number into your phone’s contacts as Oxford Mail WhatsApp and ensure you have WhatsApp installed.