A WOMAN who punched another woman through a car window has been handed a suspended sentence at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.

Shannon Kelly (24), with an address of Beechgrove Park, [Ballinamallard], was convicted with common assault for the incident that took place on July 16, 2020.

At around 4pm on the day in question, the injured party was driving along Main Street, Irvinestown when Kelly drove past her in the opposite direction.

The court heard there had been issues between the parties previously.

The injured party drove on, but Kelly followed her before the victim pulled over to avoid an accident.

It was at this stage that Kelly got out of her vehicle and went over to the injured party's car and began punching her on the head and face, grabbing her hair and trying to pull the victim out of the car. She also made threats to kill the victim.

A male witness who was in the car had to pull Kelly away from the injured party.

Kelly then drove away while the victim went to A&E with neck pain described as whiplash-type injuries.

The 24-year-old was interviewed, but made no comment when asked if she knew the injured party, and if there were any issues between them.

Kelly's barrister, Michael Boyd, told the court emotions had been running high, and his client "lost control", and it was an opportunistic attack rather than a targeted one.

Looking at her previous record, Mr. Boyd said all had taken place in her youth, but she had grown up and was now a devoted mother of two.

He said Kelly clearly accepts she was in the wrong, and that this incident was a blot in her copybook.

In sentencing Kelly, District Judge Steven Keown pointed out that all of her previous court appearances had involved violence, and while previous offences may have happened when she was a minor, this assault had passed the custody threshold.

Kelly was handed a four-month sentence, suspended for three years, to run alongside a three-year restraining order for common assault.