Hannah Garwood assaulted member of bar staff at The White Hart in Swaffham

A woman threw a drink over the bar worker she thought was having “something to do with” her ex-partner.

Hannah Garwood, 28, of Queen Street in Swaffham, vented her frustrations outside The White Hart pub in the town on July 13 last year.

At around 8.45pm on that date, the victim contacted police to say she had been assaulted while working at the London Street venue.

On Thursday, Garwood appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court, where she pleaded guilty to assault by beating.

The court heard that on July 5, the victim had made a comment about Garwood’s partner which was intended as a joke, but was not taken as one.

Garwood took it to mean that the victim wanted to romantically pursue her partner.

Using social media, the woman attempted to make clear to Garwood that this was not the case. However, the defendant wanted to take further action.

She therefore showed up at The White Hart over a week later, where she threw a glass of Coke over the victim’s face. She then threw the glass itself at her feet.

Garwood then struck the victim on the back of the head, leaving a lump. This was all captured on CCTV footage, and she has been barred from the pub.

Garwood was originally handed a conditional caution which required her to pay £50 to her victim and complete an anger management course.

However, by her December 15 deadline, she had failed to do so, and was charged with assault instead.

Mitigating, duty solicitor George Sorrell said that although Garwood had three previous battery convictions on her criminal record, the last was some time ago.

“There has been no trouble apart from this in the last eight years,” he said.

“The defendant had a lot of trouble with her so-called ex-partner. He didn’t treat her very well.

“It came to her attention that this lady might have had something to do with him, and she made a comment – whether it was meant as inflammatory, the defendant took it to be inflammatory – and she felt provoked.

“Still enraged as she walked away, she struck her on the back of the head. It was all over quite quickly.

“In the spur of the moment, she was just so inflamed by what was said – whatever it was. It brought back memories of what happened with this man, and caused her to take it out on this lady at the public house.

“It is just a pity she couldn’t take up the offer of a conditional caution.

“I would like to say that she doesn’t want to disturb the normally peaceful environment of Swaffham any further.”

Magistrates handed Garwood a £120 fine, while she will also pay the £50 in compensation to her victim.

Furthermore, she will pay £50 in court costs and a £48 victim surcharge.