A woman who assaulted her ex-husband’s partner was upset after bumping into them in the pub.

Vicki Bamforth admitted grabbing Jennifer Nash by the hair during the row at the Royal Oak public house in Linthwaite.

Kirklees magistrates heard that the 45-year-old lost her temper when she saw her former best friend Ms Nash talking to her new boyfriend.

Bamforth pleaded guilty to assault by beating.

The Huddersfield court was told that she and her partner had gone to the pub on the evening of June 24 when a band was playing live music.

Vanessa Jones, prosecuting, said: “In there was her ex-husband and his partner and she was not very comfortable and in distress about seeing them there.

“The partner of her ex began to talk to her boyfriend and she felt even more upset.

“She said: ‘I told you not to speak to her’ and confronted the victim.”

Bamforth, of The Ridgeways in Linthwaite, admitting assaulting Ms Nash.

She claimed that they both had hold of each other’s hair and they ended up on the floor together.

Mrs Jones said: “The defendant was on top of her and had to be pulled off.”

Magistrates were told that Bamforth had no previous convictions to her name.

Mrs Jones added that, while the CPS didn’t accept her claim that she and her former friend “went for each other” during the tussle, this wold not make a material difference to her sentencing.

Her solicitor Mike Sisson-Pell said: “If there ever was a recipe for a confrontation and potential disaster then this is it.

“There at the pub was her ex best friend who now lives with her ex-husband and that’s never a happy mix.

“Her former best friend then started to speak to her boyfriend and that was extremely provocative as she told him not to speak with her.

“She confronted her and they ended up on the floor where Ms Bamforth accepts that she was on top of Ms Nash and they grabbed each other’s hair.”

Mr Sisson-Pell added that his client accepted that she could have let go of Ms Nash’s hair but continued to pull on it.

He said: “It’s extremely unfortunate that this 45-year-old lady has had to come to court and plead guilty to a criminal offence.”

Magistrates gave Bamforth a 12-month conditional discharge.

She will still have to pay £85 costs and £20 victim surcharge