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| Jemma & Julia Keys |
The troubled daughter of ex-Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys attacked her mother during an alcohol-fuelled row - the latest in a long line of drink-related incidents that have shook the family for the last seven years.
Former Hollyoaks star Jemma Keys, 28, dug her fingernails into her mother Julia's wrists as Mrs Keys tried to defend herself from a flurry of kicks at the family's £4m Chelsea home.
She pleaded guilty at Hammersmith Magistrates' Court to assaulting Mrs Keys, 53, by beating, on May 21 at the Rawlings Street house and was sentenced today to a twelve-month community order, which includes 175 hours of community service work.
Jemma also admitted breaching an existing community order imposed for an offence of drink-driving and taking and driving away a car, for which she also received a three-year road ban last year.
She failed to co-operate with the probation service when she flew to an alcohol treatment clinic in Thailand, a trip funded by her father.
Prosecutor Miss Funmi Ajose told the court: "Mrs Keys went to Notting Hill Police Station on the twenty-third of May and said her daughter was at home and was very drunk.
"She said they shared the same house and she was scared to go home and she showed the police cuts to both of her wrists.
"She explained that two days earlier she had returned home at 4pm and Jemma was there and was very drunk and fell on the kitchen floor.
"Her mother went over to her and then placed her on the living-room sofa when Jemma began to kick out and kicked her in the upper legs and abdominal area.
"She tried to defend herself by holding the defendant, but Miss Keys dug her nails into her mother's wrists, causing what has been described as four deep cuts to the left wrist and two cuts to the right wrist."
When questioned by police Jemma answered "no comment" to most questions, but did say the incident was a relapse after three months without a drink.
"She was so drunk at the time she does not remember the offence happening," said Keys' lawyer Mr. James Oliver. "She has no previous convictions for violence and she is devastated by the effect this has had on her relationship with her mother."
However, the court heard Keys received a police caution for an assault complaint made by her mother previously.
"The background is Miss Keys' addiction to alcohol and she has had financial and moral support from her parents and has sought counselling.
"She has shown a reluctance to take part in alcohol counselling because she has been in residential rehabilitation, funded by her parents, and feels until she addresses her emotional problems she will relapse.
"She now sees a counsellor twice a week, but it stopped recently when her parents were on holiday for ten days and failed to pay.
"She had difficulties growing up and there were difficulties in her parents' relationship that effected her.
"Miss Keys has had the confirmation of a job with DKNY and an address paid for by her parents, providing stability."
In the last year Keys has lived in approximately ten different addresses including Sunningdale, Wentworth, Plymouth, Chelsea and Ilford, but her new three-year lease is for a settled home in Westbourne Terrace Road, Bayswater.
"There have been a number of moves and this will help her settle down," added Mr. Oliver.
"Mrs Keys and Miss Keys have together sought counselling and are working together and Mr Keys has recently obtained employment in Qatar and Mrs Keys will be joining him.
"She will be out of the country, lessening the risk of any re-offending."
It was announced this week that talkSPORT presenter Richard Keys and sidekick Andy Gray have landed a role presenting next season's Premier League games on the English language channel of Middle East TV giants Al Jazeera.
There have been alcohol relapses since her arrest and when Keys was bailed for probation reports three weeks ago the court was told she had been drinking seven days previously.
On the day she pleaded guilty her lawyer Fadi Daoud urged the magistrates to order reports and said any financial penalty or compensation would only punish the parents.
"The person who would pay it would ultimately be Richard Keys or Julia Keys because she is completely dependant on her parents.
"She is dysfunctional and has no income and no job and is somebody who has had alcohol problems for six or seven years.
"Her mother went to the police because she found her daughter drunk again, face-down, and there has been a lot of history in the past when her mother has not pursued it.
"Miss Keys continued to receive the support of her family and is somebody who can remain sober for six or seven weeks and then relapse.
"It is an on-going problem the family are dealing with. There is a massive amount of history."
Mr. Daoud said Jema's drink-drive conviction occurred during a violent domestic row with an ex-boyfriend.
"She was in an abusive relationship with a man and was escaping him when she was drunk and was driving his car.
"Miss Keys takes a lot of energy and time out of her family and others and she has to realise it is down to her and hopefully as a result of this the light has come on.
"She is a clever girl from a good family and her family have assisted her by buying her a home and arranging for a car to always pick her up and collect her so she can avoid dangers."
The lawyer asked the court to give Keys credit for her behaviour while on bail. "She could have run away and been found again face-down in the gutter.
"The positive is that she has a family that can and will assist her."
District Judge Susan Williams said when adjourning for reports three weeks ago: "She's a frequent and problematic offender not in control of her addiction.
"I'm very sympathetic to the mother, whose daughter is in the grip of a pernicious addiction
"Only she can make it work. She's going to have to persuade the alcohol worker and the court she means it.
"In the life of an alcoholic, coming back and forth to court, there is only one sentence and that is custody to protect the public and her mother when she's drinking."
The court heard Keys was previously arrested by Sussex Police for being drunk and disorderly on January 3 and received a caution.
No compensation is being sought against Miss Keys for the injuries caused and the prosecution had no information as to whether a restraining order was being sought or not.
While on bail Jemma had been staying with friends in Abbots Drive, Virginia Water, Wentworth, but they expressed concern they could not control her, particularly as there was a nearby corner shop that sold alcohol.
"It seems there are endless breaches of bail conditions and probation appointments," announced sentencing magistrate Alexia Featherstonhaugh today. "It is either due to her chaotic lifestyle or a total disregard for the court.
"We have raised the point you kicked her and we assume you did have shoes on, but nothing has been said either way," the magistrate told Keys.
"You were on an order that you don't seem to have taken much notice of, that aggravates it, and this was a domestic in which you were causing violence against your own mother, who was trying to help you out at the time and that aggravates it.
"You also have a previous caution against the same victim, your mother.
"We have heard that you are mortified by this, but there have been a number of breaches of the court , of bail and community orders and that does you no favours.
"You don't just swan off at your own behest. You do what you are told by probation."
Keys was also ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.
The house Keys shared with her mother is currently available for rent with an asking price of £2,500 per week.
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