Woman attacked after pleading guilty to helping man after he killed his three children

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A New Orleans woman charged with helping a man who had killed his three children in a fire last year was attacked in court Monday after pleading guilty.

New Orleans news outlets report that Shanyka Phillips, 32, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. The case involved Joseph Washington, 30, setting a fire in October at his ex-wife’s house. Police said the fire killed a 3-year-old boy, 5-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy. The ex-wife was not home at the time.

Phillips is expected to be sentenced on Thursday. The hearing on Monday ended after someone hit Phillips in the face — the second time violence has disrupted courtroom proceedings in the case.

Washington pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in April and is serving a life sentence.

It is unclear who hit Phillips. But online court records show that one person was sentenced to 24 hours in jail for contempt of court during Monday’s hearing.