A WOMAN and her pals have been spared jail after they kicked her former love rival unconscious in a Bolton street.

Alisha Walker flew into a rage and attacked victim Courtney Samuels, who was stood outside Yates in Bradshawgate, Bolton in the early hours of the July 17 last year.

After knocking her victim to the ground, 23-year-old Walker’s friends, Courtney Moss and Ella Newcombe, joined in the attack, kicking and stamping on Miss Samuels’ head as she lay on the ground.

Their victim lost consciousness and was taken to hospital where doctors found she had a large bruise to the back of the and multiple other bruises and abrasions on her head, face and chest.

Bolton Crown Court heard how Walker’s anger stemmed from a relationship she had with a boy when she was young and was badly affected when she discovered he was also seeing Miss Samuels.

Martin Pizzey,defending Walker said she thought it was ‘water under the bridge’ as it was so many years ago, but added that, heading home at 3am after a night out drinking, she spotted Miss Samuels, thought something was said and reacted.

Running across the road, she launched her attack.

“It was an unprovoked attack, initiated by Miss Walker,” said Anna Bond, prosecuting.

“She is followed by the other two defendants who exit a vehicle and join in the kicking and stamping on the victim’s head.”

In a victim statement read out in court Miss Samuels said: “It is difficult to put into words but this has left me feeling very anxious.”

Miss Bond told the court that the incident had been seen by CCTV operators and Courtney Moss was arrested after she was seen parking her car in an alleyway.

Newcombe and Walker were arrested at a taxi rank and initially denied being involved in the assault.

In court Walker, of Coniston Avenue, Little Hulton, Moss, aged 24, of Aspinall Crescent, Little Hulton and Newcombe, aged 24, of Wilbraham Road, Worsley, all pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Pizzey said Walker’s behaviour was the result of upset she suffered as a young girl.

“She had a boyfriend and that boyfriend was the world to her and at that age, saw nothing other than that relationship,” he said.

“It transpires, she says, that the victim in this offence was a lady who had a relationship at the same time with the young man.

“This was behind the defendant’s back and resulted in a long and protracted problem.”

He added that, on the night of the attack Walker had no intention of causing trouble.

“Regrettably, it was a momentary loss of self control,” he said.

Mr Pizzey, also defending Newcombe, said she was in Moss’s car when they pulled up at the scene and decided to intervene in support of their friend.

“She did not think. She acted impulsively,” said Mr Pizzey, who added that, as a result of the conviction Newcombe has lost her job in security at Wythenshawe Hospital.

Anna Chestnutt, defending pregnant Courtney Moss, said in July last year her relationship had ended and she was sofa-surfing.

“She felt, at that point, that she had nothing to live for,” said Miss Chestnutt.

“She is mortified and disgusted with herself.”

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh sentenced each of the defendants to 36 weeks in prison, suspended for two years.

He told them: “Fortunately the injuries sustained by the complainant were not severe. The consequences could have been utterly catastrophic and an unprovoked attack of violence of this sort passes the custodial threshold by a significant degree.”

As part of their sentence each woman will have to wear an electronic tag and be subject to an 8pm to 6am curfew for four months and they all have to participate in 25 days of rehabilitation activities.