By Eric King-
A woman has got off lightly with has a fine after punching her former boyfriend in a row over social media.
Cherie Ann Brandford from Hereford, West Midlands, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm to Brian Prosser when she appeared before magistrates in Hereford on July 22.
The pair had been in an on-off relationship, splitting up three weeks before the incident.
However the pair continued messaging and agreed to meet up at Brandford’s house on January 25 to talk things over.
The court heard Mr Prosser arrived at around 8pm, bringing a bottle of wine for her, while he drank cider as they talked.
However, things turned ugly after Mr Prosser started questioning Brandford over her social media use, asking if she had stopped messaging other men on Facebook.
“This comment was the catalyst,” Mr Williams said.
“She became very, very angry, and in his words, she grabbed his phone from him and started asking him who the females on it were.”
The court heard Brandford then stood in front of Mr Prosser and punched him twice in the left eye, causing cuts and bruising to his face, before pretending to call the police claiming he had injured her and threatening to damage his Audi.
Police were called by a neighbour and found the 43-year-old standing outside her home shouting “get him out of my house” just after midnight.
Brandford told cops there had been issues over social media since the start of their relationship, telling officers that Prosser had asked her if she was going to block the men she had been talking to since they split up.
Brandford said she had asked Mr Prosser to leave “about 20 times” after he tried to snatch her phone, going upstairs and pretending to call the police in a bid to persuade him to go.
She admitted hitting Mr Prosser and threatening to damage his car, but said she had no real intention of doing so.
Emma Thorne, for Brandford, said the relationship had been toxic and that she regretted inviting him over, but gave in after receiving several texts messages from him.
“She repeatedly asked him to leave, and she was frustrated and upset,” Mrs Thorne said.
“She pretended to call the police, and says she wishes she actually had. She just wanted him to go, and as they argued, she punched him. She cried out for help by calling his mother to collect him, and his mother said she had to really encourage him to leave.”
Magistrates said they had empathy for the situation Brandford had found herself in, and agreed there has been a lot of provocation.
Brandford was fined £100 and ordered to pay costs of £185 and a £32 victim surcharge.
A man would never have got off that lightly for causing similar injuries to a woman. The decision sets a bad standard for future similar cases, and should be reviewed by the Attorney General.