Jail for man who attacked and racially abused Doncaster shop workers

A 35-year-old man has been put behind bars after he and his girlfriend attacked and racially abused staff at a Doncaster corner shop.
Couple Patricia Bowman and Daniel Tipton attacked staff working at Everyday 365 in Dunscroft, Doncaster. Picture: Google MapsCouple Patricia Bowman and Daniel Tipton attacked staff working at Everyday 365 in Dunscroft, Doncaster. Picture: Google Maps
Couple Patricia Bowman and Daniel Tipton attacked staff working at Everyday 365 in Dunscroft, Doncaster. Picture: Google Maps

Sheffield Crown Court was told how at around 8.15pm on Christmas Eve last year, couple Patricia Bowman and Daniel Tipton, both of Ashfield Road, Balby came barging into the Everyday 365 convenience store on Abbot Road in Dunscroft.

The court was told how prior to the incident taking place, Bowman's 13-year-old son, who is banned from the shop, had told the couple that the shop owner and his colleague had smashed his phone and filmed him while he was in the store.

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In CCTV shown to the court the owner can be seen sweeping the floor while the shop was empty, when Bowman, 41, and Tipton, 35, entered the store.

Prosecuting, David Wain, told the court: "Ms Bowman enters the shop and goes for the first complainant.

"Mr Tipton enters the shop holding a baseball bat. You can see him hitting a staff member with the bat.

"During the incident both defendants were using racist language."

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The court was told how both Bowman and Tipton used the same pejorative terms, relating to what they believed the ethnic origin of the two employees was, several times during the course of the attack.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the shop owner described how Bowman's young son had subjected him and his staff to a persistent campaign of abuse prior to the attack.

He said: "The teenager has been torturing me at the shop most days. He takes photographs of me and runs away. He comes in with his face covered.

"I'm still in pain now [following the assault]."

The other staff member assaulted in the attack told the court: "I don't feel safe to work here at night now. Every time someone comes in I'm worried about what will happen."

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Defending Bowman and Tipton, Cheryl Dudley, told the court both defendants had expressed remorse for their actions, and had felt ashamed after watching CCTV of the incident.

Ms Dudley explained how Bowman's son had been in an accident earlier that year, which had caused her to 'over-react' when he phoned to tell her that shop staff had broken his phone and filmed him.

She said Bowman, who has no previous convictions, was also feeling pressure due to looking after an unwell relative and getting ready to prepare Christmas dinner for 14 people the following day.

Ms Dudley said Tipton had not gone to the shop with the intention of using a baseball bat, which was in his car - along with a number of other pieces of play equipment used to entertain Bowman's son.

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Bowman pleaded guilty to one count of affray relating to the incident, and Tipton, who has an extensive criminal record for offences of burglary, to one count of affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place at an earlier hearing.

Judge Roger Thomas sentenced both Tipton and Bowman to 12 months in prison.

He said he was 'just' able to suspend Bowman's sentence for two years due to her clean criminal record, but Tipton's previous convictions and use of a weapon meant he would be sent to prison immediately.