A WOMAN who had two drinks in her hand was pushed by another woman as she turned away from the bar in a Padiham pub.

Blackburn magistrates heard the victim suffered bruises to her legs, arm and back and a cut to her eye and her nail extensions were broken as she fell to the floor.

The court heard Dawn Rushton accepted she had pushed the other woman to the floor but they gave different versions of what had led up to the assault.

Rushton, 43, of Whitefield Street, Hapton, pleaded guilty to assaulting Sharon Stuttard. She was fined £110 and ordered to pay £100 compensation, £85 costs and £30 victim surcharge.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Mrs Stuttard was out for a quiet drink with family and was at the bar in the Kings Arms when the defendant stood next to her.

“She says the defendant said something 'sly' to her,” said Miss Allan.

“She tried to alleviate the situation but it didn’t seem to work.

“She paid for two drinks and as she turned with them in her hands the defendant pushed her in the chest with both hands.

“She fell onto her backside, the glasses smashed and the drinks went all over her.”

Miss Allan said Rushton was ejected from the pub.

Helen Farnsworth, defending, said at the time of the incident her client had just completed a six months community drug detox programme.

“She had been using drugs with her ex-boyfriend and off her own back got herself out of the relationship and away from heroin,” said Mrs Farnsworth.

“On the night of the incident everyone she met was complementing her on how well she had done. She says the aggrieved called her a smack head and that provoked the incident.

"She has achieved a lot through her own efforts and was upset by what this lady said,” she added.

Miss Allan told the magistrates there had been a basis of plea which was not reflected in the mitigation.

“The prosecution case is that Mrs Stuttard did not say anything to provoke the defendant,” said Miss Allan. I understand my friend withdraws any allegation that there was any provocation.”