A WOMAN who fought in the street has been given a five month jail sentence.

Elly Fletcher was captured on CCTV squaring up and trading blows with another woman outside a newsagents in Marton Road, Middlesbrough.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 44-year-old had “history” with the complainant, who was accompanied by two men, and had been involved in an altercation with her earlier the same day.

Prosecutor Rosalind Scott-Bell said Fletcher accepted swinging her arm in a punching action and was seen to be “somewhat aggressive”.

When she was arrested by police she said she was defending herself after attempts to rob her of her mobile phone and described the incident as “three against one”.

Fletcher, of Burwell Street, Middlesbrough, admitted affray on the evening of March 19 this year. She had previous convictions for violence and had been sentenced to five years in jail in 2004 for an assault. However she had not committed any offences since.

Jo Pasfield, mitigating, said Fletcher accepted her behaviour was not appropriate.

Judge Howard Crowson said such incidents were frightening for innocent members of the public who may have seen what was happening.

The judge jailed her for 20 weeks, but said as the four months she had spent on remand would inevitably count towards the sentence she was likely to be released from custody very soon.