A Muslim woman was left degraded and ashamed after her hijab was ripped from her head and used to strangle her.

Barka Ali-Abdulla told a court she was left afraid for her life and unable to go out after she was attacked by Tanya Squires.

Ms Abdulla, a Somali refugee, said she was left so devastated she is thinking of leaving Britain after living here for more than 20 years.

Squires, 21, who is three months pregnant, hurled a stone at her head in an unprovoked attack near Churchill Square, Brighton, in August.

When Ms Abdulla, the mother of a young daughter, turned round Squires spat in her face and launched a vicious assault on her, Brighton Magistrates Court was told yesterday.

Amanda Burrows, prosecuting, said: “Squires punched her hard in the eye and then pulled off her hijab, a traditional headscarf, which she used to try to strangle Ms Abdulla.”

Ms Abdull was not in court for the hearing but in a victim impact statement she said: “My hijab was pulled off my head which is an insult to my religion.

“I am now afraid to open my front door and will not go out because I am scared of another attack.

“I suffer recurrent nightmares of what happened that day and do not sleep or eat properly.

“I now believe it might be better if I went back home despite the fact that I have lived for 20 years in England because I am now afraid for my life.

“I feel violated, degraded and ashamed because of what happened because Muslim women should never show their hair in public.”

Squires, of Selbourne Road, Hove, who had no previous convictions, admitted the common assault on Ms Abdulla on August 9.

Mike Tyler, defending, said Squires had alcohol problems at the time and is due to have her baby in June.

He said: “She has had alcohol dependency problems since she was 14 but since this happened she no longer drinks.

“This was a moment of madness which was completely out of character for her.”

Squires was given a five month prison sentence suspended for a year and was ordered to pay £200 compensation to her victim.

She was also ordered to wear an electronic tag and not go out between 8pm and 6am until February 5.

Judge Parsons said: “This was probably the worst case of common assault I have ever heard. It was an entirely unprovoked attack.

“You threw a stone at her and spat in her face, you spat in her eye. It was a disgusting act which left her feeling violated and degraded.

“If you come before me again because you have breached the conditions of your sentence you will go to prison.”