Sheffield mum, dad and son barged into family home to dish out violence as three scared youngsters watched
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“I’ll shoot you, I don’t give a f*** about jail time”
A Sheffield family barged into a family home to mete out violence as three scared youngsters watched, a court heard.
The mother, father and son were sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, after a judge described the offences as “serious” and said the violence had taken place in front of children.
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Matriarch Julie Wallhead, aged 40, was described by Judge Peter Hampton as the “leading light” in the incident after she “instigated” the violence against a man she believed had assaulted her niece.
She was also described as being “out for revenge” and not fearing prison or the repercussions of her actions.
Judge Hampton said the fact the three defendants had previously been of good character made the offences “all the more shocking”.
He said aggravating factors included that the violence happened in the victims’ home and in the presence of children, including an 11-year-old.
Julie, Keenan Wallhead, 44, and their son Leighton, 20, turned up at the man's home on December 29, 2024, after Julie had made a threatening call around 20 minutes beforehand.
She told the male: “You’ve f***** it, you c***. You put your hands on her, I’ll shoot you, I don’t give a f*** about jail time.”
Andrew Stranex, prosecuting, said all three Wallheads appeared at the home the man shared with his parents and three younger siblings.
One of the youngsters, aged 11, cowered at the top of the stairs as chaos erupted.
Mr Stranex said that after “pushing their way in”, Leighton, a gunner in the Army, strangled the father of the house from behind before punching him repeatedly, leaving him “unconscious”.
He then joined his dad Keenan in the living room, where the younger male said to have assaulted his niece was being attacked.
Mr Stranex said: “The two of them punched (the victim) while the youngest of the siblings were in the living room watching.
“As (the victim) tried to stand Leighton punched him in the head and Keenan punched him to the back of the head.”
Once the three had fled, the father of the house was taken to hospital with bleeding to the eye and a swollen neck.
Leighton admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, intentional strangulation and affray.
Julie and Keenan, from the Beighton area, admitted affray.
Leighton was serving in the army at the time.
The court heard an immediate jail term would have meant his discharge from the Army.
In mitigation, Judge Hampton said the defendants’ previous good character was important.
He said they had “protected factors” such as jobs, families and people who cared about them, adding that it was “astonishing you put all of that at risk”.
He said he saw remorse in at least two cases, referring to Keenan and Leighton.
The judge said Leighton had “exemplary references” and was completing true national service. He said those serving were “much appreciated for all they do” and added: “The sentence should not stop you doing your bit.”
Contrastingly, Judge Hampton said Julie had “dragged proceedings out for over a year” and described her offending and her manner in court as showing “a degree of arrogance”.
All three were given nine-month prison sentences, suspended for two years.
Leighton and Keenan were ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, while Julie was ordered to complete 220 hours.
They were also ordered to pay statutory surcharges to the court, with Leighton and Keenan each ordered to pay £100 and Julie ordered to pay £1,600.
Judge Hampton said Julie had only been given the same suspended sentence as the other family members because of the route taken in sentencing them, making clear: “It is nothing to do with you, but more with Leighton.”
The judge also imposed a restraining order banning the family from contacting the victims by any means for seven years.
He reserved the breach of the order to himself, meaning that if Julie breaches it, the case will go straight back to Judge Hampton.