Enrica Hensley, owner of Enrica’s Golden Needle, 436 Main Street in downtown Belleville, said a customer beat her up on Feb. 20.
On Sept. 16 the accused pled guilty to assault and battery and was sentenced.
Jennifer Ellick, 28, of Van Buren Township appeared at 34th District Court where she was ordered to pay Hensley $887 in damages, take an anger management class, and be on probation for six months.
“I guess it’s over,” said Hensley later that day. She said the court called her to see if she was satisfied with the sentence and she was.
Hensley got a notice in the mail to appear at 34th District Court on Sept. 1 concerning the case.
Hensley said she had been waiting for the chance to testify and was glad the assault case would be moving forward.
But on Sept. 1, Hensley was disappointed when Ellick did not show up for court. Justice definitely was not moving forward, she said.
Ellick, who was going to be charged with assault and battery in the incident, also failed to show up for her April 1 appointment at 34th District Court in Romulus.
A bench warrant was issued by the judge at the time and Ellick recently was arrested on the bench warrant and bonded out.
Ellick told police she was never notified of the April 1 court appearance because she had moved.
When Hensley showed up at court Sept. 1 with the mail advising her to appear, she was told that the notice she received should have been sent to Ellick, not Hensley. Meanwhile, Ellick did not get anything mailed to her and so she did not show up on Sept. 1.
Hensley said when she got the mail with Ellick’s name and Hensley’s business address (436 Main), she called the court. She said someone at the court told her Ellick’s name was probably on the mail because that is the case in question. Hensley said she accepted the explanation.
Hensley, who had cancelled a three-week vacation to Italy so she could appear in court on Sept. 1, said she was very upset with the mixup at first, but then calmed down.
“I had decided not to go to Italy because I knew I would worry about the court appearance and that I should be there and I wouldn’t have a good time,” Hensley said.
Hensley, 66, who has run her Golden Needle shop for more than 30 years on Main Street, told Belleville police how she ended up with a black eye, broken glasses, and bruised arms.
She said it all started when a bride-elect brought a wedding dress to her shop for alterations. Hensley said she also replaced a missing hook and pressed the crinoline on the gown.
On Feb. 20, around noon, the bride, mother-in-law to be, and bridesmaid came to pick up the dress. The bride complained that it was wrinkled and some things weren’t done.
Hensley said she did everything she was asked to do, and more, and the bill was $45, as she had told them when the order was placed. The bride didn’t want to pay for it, Hensley said, and Hensley didn’t want her to take it without paying her bill.
Hensley told police when the three women were in the dressing room whispering, she felt something was up and she sent her grandson out of the store, telling him to go shopping. Her daughter Angie was visiting from Chicago and the young lady who works for Hensley, Angeline (also Angie), were present.
Hensley said the bride later said her dad was on the phone and he told her to take the dress and run.
Hensley tried to stop that, she said, and the two younger women knocked her down on the floor, one sitting on her stomach and the other holding her arm back so far she thought it would break.
Hensley said she saw the punch coming, but didn’t think fast enough to duck.
Meanwhile the two Angies called Belleville Police and Cpl. Todd Schrecengost arrived immediately.
The women told the officer that Hensley attacked them and scratched the face of one of them, which Hensley denied.
Hensley said Cpl. Schrecengost said if he arrested anyone he would have to arrest them all, so he arrested no one. Hensley said she was disappointed in that.
At the end, Hensley got her $45 and the women took the dress.
But, Hensley had to get her eyeglasses fixed, since she was wearing them when she got socked.
Belleville Police investigated the incident further and Hensley was summoned to Detroit to talk to officials in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s office. She brought along the photograph of her black eye, as requested by the prosecutor.
Then the prosecutor’s office approved an assault and battery charge against Jennifer Ellick, the bridesmaid.