A MOTHER and daughter who launched attacks and verbal abuse at door staff and police have been told they were lucky to avoid jail.

Dawn Keegan, 44, and her daughter Samantha-Joe Richards-Keegan, 20, both of 27 Tregerddan in Bow Street, admitted a string of charges including threatening behaviour, disorderly behaviour intended to cause distress and assault charges after an incident in the early hours of 27 December.

Magistrates said they had seriously considered sending the two women to prison, but defence solicitor Katy Hanson said neither woman had been in trouble previously and that the incident was sparked by heavy drinking and a lengthy period of family stress that was released “like a pressure cooker”.

Keegan pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour, three charges of assault, two charges of disorderly behaviour intended to cause distress, and assaulting a police officer, while Richards-Keegan admitted charges of threatening behaviour, two charges of assault, assaulting a police officer and criminal damage to police anti-harm suits, after an incident sparked when Richards-Keegan was refused re-entry to Inn on the Pier after she was said to have been seen smoking cannabis by security staff.

Prosecutor Rhian Jones said Richards-Keegan reacted angrily when she was told she couldn’t go back into the pub and started kicking and hitting out, despite her mother and another family member trying to calm her down.

Ms Jones said that Keegan reacted angrily and grabbed and started shaking a member of the public when she saw that he appeared to be filming the incident on his phone.

That led Barry Nicholson, a member of the public, to intervene and try to restrain Keegan, but she hit him several times before he took her to the floor to restrain her.

While that was taking place, Richards-Keegan kicked John Davies, a member of bar staff, in the groin after he had gone out to assist, before she then ran over and kicked Mr Nicholson in the thigh.

Security staff tried to calm things down by backing off, but Ms Jones said the two women shouted abuse at them before going on to Lip Lickin’ Chicken. But they were refused entry there, and Keegan pushed security staff member Christopher Evans, before she began verbally abusing him.

Police officers arrived and stopped the two women, but Ms Jones said during a struggle Richards-Keegan kicked Special Constable Bradley Davies after he lost his footing during a struggle, while Keegan hit PC Galland-Evans and started shouting homophobic abuse at her.

Ms Jones said none of the assault victims suffered serious injuries but they did suffer soreness and some scrapes.

Ms Hanson said both women accepted that their behaviour wasn’t acceptable and said that neither went out drinking often, but had drunk heavily that day.

She said the family had been going through a very stressful period that led to the incident flaring up, with Keegan thinking her daughter needed help, but said the incident was “entirely out of character”.

Ms Hanson said Keegan had been trying to help her daughter with issues, but accepted that both of them probably needed outside assistance.

Keegan was given a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 220 hours of unpaid work.

She will pay a total of £150 to the four people she accepted assaulting, as well as costs of £335.

Richards-Keegan was also given a 12-month community order with 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a curfew for three months between 8pm and 8am.

She will pay compensation of £250 to the three men she assaulted, as well as £200 to the police for the anti-harm suits, as well as costs of £335.

Both women were banned from the pier for 18 months.