Sisters lashed out over sex-op jibes; PAIR BANNED FROM BAR AFTER VIOLENT ATTACK.

Byline: ROB KENNEDY

TWO sisters have been banned from a city centre bar after violence flared on the dancefloor over transsexual jibes.

Strutting round in high heels and hot pants, Fay Purdham and her sister Lindsay McCamley had been annoying revellers in a Newcastle bar with drunken dancing.

Then when Purdham, who is a pre-op transsexual, took offence at remarks made to her, she lashed out, attacking fellow drinkers and bouncers.

One of the women attacked was left with hearing loss.

At Newcastle Crown Court, Judge Tony Lancaster told the pair: "You behaved disgracefully, no better than wild cats and in a public place.

"There is nothing more unseemly than two women fighting in the way you were. You ought to be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves.

"Fay Purdham, you acted aggressively at the perception of a slight about transgender issues. But you seem to have severe problems with anger management and you overreacted."

Purdham and McCamley had been out drinking at Bar Beyond, in The Gate, on April 7 last year.

Around 11.30pm they began irritating others revellers by wildly dancing and swinging their hair at people.

When Joanne Turnbull retaliated by flicking her hair at Purdham, she was grabbed by the hair, put on the ground and dragged across the floor.

Purdham then grabbed another girl, Stacey Halford, pulling her to the ground and kicking and punching her with the help of McCamley.

By this time bouncers had turned up, but still Purdham lashed out, hitting Miss Halford's friend in the face. Security staff tried to restrain her, but she continued to lash out aggressively. The sisters were taken to the foyer of The Gate but, despite repeated attempts to eject them, they kept going back in.

Purdham proved too strong to be thrown out and had to be restrained on the floor until police arrived. Once in the police van, she repeatedly kicked out at a bench, causing damage.

Both of the women attacked suffered bruising and Miss Halford sustained permanent hearing loss and tinnitus.

Purdham already had a conviction for a similar attack at Blu Bambu, in the Bigg Market, a few months earlier. She was given a conditional discharge for that offence.

Now the 22-year-old and McCamley, 27, both of Redgrave Place, Gateshead, have admitted affray. Both were given 12-month community orders with supervision and were made the subject of exclusion orders from Bar Beyond for six months.

Mark Styles, for Purdham, said: "She was out of control through drink and let herself down.

"She was in a complete rage and made a fool of herself strutting around in high heels and hot pants.

"She is anxious over a gender reassignment operation which is fixed for July."

The court heard McCamley had been sticking up for her sister as she is "particularly conscious about her sister's sensitivity and is protective of her".

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Publication:	Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England)
Date:	Apr 8, 2010
Words:	477
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