A WOMAN has pleaded guilty to racially harassing a father and his three-year-old son in an Ipswich street.Theresa Trenter, 41, admitted using threatening behaviour to the child, racially harassing him and committing racially aggravated common assault against his father.

A WOMAN has pleaded guilty to racially harassing a father and his three-year-old son in an Ipswich street.

Theresa Trenter, 41, admitted using threatening behaviour to the child, racially harassing him and committing racially aggravated common assault against his father.

Stephen Colman, prosecuting at South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court, said Trenter had made the comments during an altercation in Upper Brook Street on February 18.

He said: “The main complainant was in the town centre with his son and was deliberately knocked into by Miss Trenter.

“He was concerned because he thought she was going to do something to the child.

“He tried to protect the child by crouching in front of him.”

Mr Colman said it was then that Trenter used racist remarks towards the pair, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The dispute continued when the victim's former partner came out of Wilkinsons in the street and Trenter attacked her with a mobile phone.

The toddler was then passed to an adult friend who was also assaulted.

Ian Duckworth, defending Trenter, said the man had broken a chain around her neck and that CCTV footage had shown her waiting out the store for police following the altercation.

Trenter, of Weaver Close, Ipswich, admitted one count of racially aggravated harassment, one of racially aggravated common assault and two counts of assault.

She also pleaded guilty to a charge of using threatening behaviour.

District Judge David Cooper sentenced her to 12 weeks in prison for each offence, suspended for one year.