The disgruntled shopper who punched an elderly Walmart greeter in the face last year has been sentenced to five years in prison, according to WTSP-TV .
Jacquetta Simmons was reportedly taken into custody as soon as the sentence was handed down. The 27-year-old was convicted in August of assaulting the 70-year-old employee after the woman asked to see Simmons’ receipt.
According to The Huffington Post , Jacquetta Simmons and Walmart employee Grace Suozzi got into scuffle soon after the receipt request. When Suozzi asked to Simmons’ proof of purchase, the two reportedly game to blows. Simmons’ lawyer explained that his client never meant to intentionally harm the elderly woman.
The assailant was sentenced under New York’s Granny Law, which makes it a felony for a person to assault anyone over the age 65 if the perpetrator is at least 10 years younger than the victim.
Simmons launched the savage attack on Christmas Even of 2011 after the store employee asked to see the woman’s receipt. Suozzi was transported to an area hospital and treated for fractures to the left side of her face.
“What she has taken away is irreplaceable, she has taken away my independence… she has taken away my joy and replaced it with trauma,” Suozzi tearfully explained during her court appearance.
“She absolutely did not accept any responsibility for what she did,” prosecutor Larry Friedman said.
According to the Daily Mail , surveillance footage shows the confrontation in question. During the ruckus, Simmons can be spotted getting into a fight with another individual before being overwhelmed by employees and customers. Police arrived before she could flee the scene of the crime.
Simmons’ attorney explained that they intend to appeal the court’s ruling.
What do you think should happen to the woman who punched an elderly Walmart greeter in the face? Do you think five years is too harsh or too lenient?