Mums ‘in love triangle’ fought in school playground in front of children

Two mums in a love triangle were left with black eyes after they came to blows in a school playground, a court has heard.

Mum-of-four Natasha Sherlock, 29, and Samantha Rylance, 28, started brawling in front of children and parents at Sommerville Primary School, Merseyside, last July.

The parents were once firm friends but fell out after Sherlock claimed Rylance had a one-night stand with her ex.

The fisticuffs began when Sherlock yelled ‘do not f***ing talk to my kids’ when her daughter waved at Rylance in the playground.

The scrap saw mum-of-three Rylance slap her former friend, it was said.

Sherlock then returned the favour and punched Rylance before Rylance’s partner Callum Roberts and Sherlock’s father broke up the fight.

CCTV of the incident, which left both women with a black eye, was passed on to police by the school’s headteacher.

Sherlock was later arrested and stood trial for assault by beating at Sefton Magistrates’ Court.

However, the mum was cleared after arguing she had acted in self-defence.

Rylance told the court she was insulted by Sherlock from across the playground as she went to pick up her son.

After joining her partner Callum, Sherlock came over and began being ‘aggressive’ towards him.

She described the altercation: ‘When she saw me she said, “Yes, f***ing you”. I said “Leave it, we are on the playground. There are kids around”.

‘But she said, “Come on, come on, let’s go outside,” and started grabbing my top. She was screaming and shouting.

‘She initially knocked my glasses off and, as gentleman, picked them she was pulling on my top.

‘I knocked her hand away to defend myself but she swung and hit me across the face and that is when it turned into the fight itself.

‘After the incident, I felt awful. The kids did not want to go to school or let me take them to school in case I got attacked again.’

CCTV video showed Sherlock walking up to Callum before the fight broke out.

He said he feared for the children during the bust-up, adding: ‘Natasha was angry. She said, “You best sort her out” or “Sort your missis’ out.”

‘Samantha approached and Natasha said “Yeah, you”. She then ended up grabbing her and then punched her.

‘I was really worried about the kids. There were arms flying everywhere.’

Sherlock described in her own evidence how a simple ‘hi’ triggered the brawl, but insisted she was the one who was attacked.

She said: ‘It was quite a bad one. On that day, she said “Hi” to my daughter and I said “Do not talk to my child.” I knew she was trying to wind me up.

‘I tried walking off but Samantha carried on screaming stuff.

‘If anyone was attacked it was me and I hit her back. I was only aggressive when she started shouting at me.’

Her lawyer, Paul Davison, later accused Rylance of being the ‘aggressor’.

He added: ‘If she is scared of the defendant and if she hears the defendant shout words when she has a young child with her, why approach unless you are looking for trouble?

‘You just wouldn’t, but she does.’

District Judge Paul Healey, who viewed the CCTV, was left horrified at the fight.

He said: ‘This took place on a school playground, with parents and kids around.

‘It is a thoroughly unpleasant incident to witness.”

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