A riding school receptionist repeatedly punched an instructor outside the stable block after she said she was useless at her job and 'a joke'
Hayley Dickens said she still has hearing problems six months after her sister-in-law Kirstie Whittington, 39, struck her in the ears, eye and jaw on May 21 during the bust-up.
Mother-of-two Whittington claimed she acted in self-defence after Ms Dickens attacked her.
She claimed Ms Dickens had 'gone off on a tirade' saying she needed to 'get off my a*** and do my job properly'.
But District judge Julia Newton convicted her at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court of assault causing actual bodily harm after hearing the evidence.
Ms Dickens, whose mother owns Gillian’s Riding School in Enfield, north London, said there was confusion that day over what horses were allocated for her clients, causing disruption to her lessons.
She felt it was ‘unprofessional’ and made a complaint in which she mentioned Whittington, sparking the row.
Riding instructor Mrs Dickens said: ‘I came out of the horses’ stables and was confronted with her and she was quite clearly very upset about something.
Hayley Dickens said she still has hearing problems six months after the stable side fight
Mother-of-two Kirstie Whittington claimed she acted in self-defence but was convicted
‘She then said to me if I ever have anything that I want to say to her I need to say it to her face. She was at this point, using her hands gesturing, pointing quite abruptly, aggressively towards me.
‘She then continued with, “Don’t ever do anything like this again”. I then returned and said, “Well if I’m not happy about something in the work place I’m going to report it, you can’t say that to me”.
‘She then said somethings I think to insult me – “you’re embarrassing”, “you’re a joke” – she was
