Woman jailed for smashing gran’s face into caravan

A woman has been jailed after she smashed a grandmother’s face into a caravan and knocked out her front teeth – all because she was asked to be quiet while a child slept.

Shawna Miller, 28, of System Street, Adamsdown, Cardiff, attacked Kelly Prosser during a family gathering at the Brodawel caravan park in Porthcawl on March 22 last year.

The attack

Ms Prosser had been recovering from a recent hospital stay and had gone to the caravan park with her partner, family and friends for a change of scenery. Miller’s uncle was among the group.

By around 8pm, Ms Prosser’s grandson was asleep inside the caravan, but Miller was being loud outside. Prosecutor Sali Harmes told Newport Crown Court that Ms Prosser asked Miller to be quiet, but the noise continued, and she was then asked to leave.

Miller responded by grabbing Ms Prosser by the hair and smashing her face into the front of the caravan door. She then dragged the victim towards the room where her grandson was sleeping before Ms Prosser’s partner stepped in to intervene.

The attack left Ms Prosser with two front teeth knocked out, a nosebleed and hair extensions ripped out.

The impact

In a victim personal statement read to the court, Ms Prosser said: “I had been in bed all that week having been discharged from hospital and was to recover at home. I had been quite unwell in bed and housebound but my partner suggested a change of scenery so we went to sit and relax with family and friends.

“The events of that night totally turned my life upside down, it affected my mental health, my daily life, my relationship with my children and grandchildren and work has also suffered. My relationship with my partner suffered for seven or eight weeks and ended completely because I felt disgusted with my appearance when I looked in the mirror.

“Two of my front teeth were smashed out and a third tooth was pushed up, I had a split lip, a fractured nose, two black eyes, swelling and bruising to my cheekbone and jaw and a whiplash injury.”

Ms Prosser said she needed an emergency dental appointment, had been unable to return to work, and her weight dropped to seven stone six pounds because eating had become painful.

Mitigation and sentencing

Miller was arrested and initially denied the attack but later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The court heard she has six previous convictions, including a battery offence in 2024 for which she received 12 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months.

In mitigation, Alex Granville said his client had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety, and spent most days on her own with her dog. He said Miller had been on a “cocktail of alcohol and drugs” at the time, and that “adverse experiences” had caused her to respond in the way she did.

Recorder Christian Jowett sentenced Miller to a total of 14 months’ imprisonment and ordered her to pay £500 in compensation.