Rotherham couple attacked by wife's brother while visiting still-born daughter's grave
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Toni Connell, 43, Whiston was visiting her daughter’s grave at East Herringthorpe Cemetery with her husband, Glynn Connell when the pair were attacked by the 43-year-old’s brother following a family feud.
The pair were tidying up their little girl, Violet’s grave, who died on October 5, 2008 after being stillborn and getting ‘her garden’ as Toni calls it – ready for Christmas.
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Hide AdThe 43-year-old had not spoken to her brother, James Spittle, 35, for months following a family argument where he had threatened her husband after their mother died from stomach cancer in April last year.
Toni spotted the 35-year-old, who was visiting their mum’s grave, who was buried near to Violet, when they arrived at the cemetery.
Spittle came over and squared up to the couple before he punched Glynn in the face and his front tooth fell out.
The mum of 11 live-streamed the attack on Facebook as the pair began fighting and Spittle attempted to take her phone off her.
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Hide AdPolice then arrived at the scene and the 35-year-old was arrested.
Spittle was sentenced to 30 weeks in prison for two counts of assault and for assaulting a police officer, at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on September 14.
Toni said: "I was just in shock.
"I knew he'd threatened Glynn before but I thought because we are in a graveyard that we'd be alright and he wouldn't say anything.
"They were jumping all over Violet's grave as they were fighting, crushed all the ornaments that I had bought her.
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Hide Ad"It was disgusting, I thought as if this has just happened in a graveyard.”
The 35-year-old put his sister in a headlock and marked her neck during the assault.
"We were both really badly shook up”, Toni added.
"We stayed away from the graveyard and we lost our mum last year and it just didn't allow us to grieve.
"It was a massive relief on the day he was sentenced that it was all over and done with because it had taken so long from December last year to this month, it's been a long wait.”