Bottle-a-day woman hit child

Ann Chadwick slapped the nine-year-old boy on the back three times as he played with one of his friends.

Chadwick, 48, formerly of Agnew Street, Lytham, now living at Warton Street, Lytham, denied assault, but was found guilty of the offence after a trial.

She was sentenced to 12 months supervision and ordered to pay £200 costs with £60 victims’ surcharge by Blackpool magistrates.

Martine Connah, prosecuting, said Chadwick slapped the boy three times on the back on August 15 last year. He was distressed and upset, but not injured, the court was told.

He said Chadwick had had a ring on and it hurt a bit.

David Campbell, defending, told magistrates that his client, who had no previous convictions, said she put her hand out to guide the boy.

Chadwick had lived in America and had a good lifestyle out there.

She had run her own business, but things became too much and she now had a dependency on alcohol.

The pre-sentence report on her stated Chadwick was drinking at least a bottle of vodka a day in order to cope.