A fun Eurovision Song Contest event in Accrington’s market hall was turned into a public punch-up by a drunken woman.

Blackburn magistrates heard Josephine Clark took exception when she was refused admission to the event and ended up assaulting three males.

The court was told one was the official who refused her entry and another was having a day out with his family and had gone to assist the official.

The third was a 16-year-old boy who had been filming the incident on his phone and ended up being slapped across the face.

Clark, 31, of Richmond Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting the official causing him actual bodily harm, and assaulting the other man and the 16-year-old.

She was made subject to a 12-month community order with a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a six weeks curfew between 8pm and 8am.

District Judge Alexandra Preston said it had been a dreadful incident.

“There were families attending that event and not only did they have to witness and hear your behaviour you assaulted three people,” said District Judge Preston.

“It is made worse by the fact you were very drunk and that it was a family event where there would have been children.”

Steve Botell, prosecuting, said Lee Wallace was working at the event on a Saturday afternoon in May when he saw Clark and a male approaching the market apparently involved in some kind of a row.

He decided not to let them in, having formed the opinion they were both drunk.

“They became aggressive, demanding to know who Mr Wallace thought he was stopping them entering a public event,” said Mr Botell.

“Mr Wallace pushed the male backwards, because he felt threatened, and was then attacked by the defendant who punched him repeatedly to the face.”

Mr Botell said a number of other people rushed over to assist.

“One of them, Keith Britland, who was enjoying a day out with his family, was punched three times by the defendant who then spat on him,” said Mr Botell.

“The 16-year-old had been sitting on a bench with his mother and went to see what the commotion was. He started filming the incident on his phone and the defendant told him to stop and then slapped him across the face.”

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said the trigger to the incident had been his client stopping taking her anti-psychotic medication two weeks earlier.

“She then consumed alcohol on this day and the incident occurred,” said Mr Taylor.

“Straight after, she got back on her medication and has not drunk alcohol since. She accepts it must have been deeply disturbing for all the people involved.”