Magistrates watched a CCTV video of an attack by a woman on a friend outside an Abingdon pub.

Mother-of-four Sharon James, 30, was sentenced to a nine months' community rehabilitation order after she admitted causing affray.

Shelley Cranshaw, prosecuting, told Didcot Magistrates' Court that the video showed James kicking Julia Atkinson outside the Beehive pub at 9pm on February 16. Ms Atkinson suffered a broken nose and bruising to her head.

John Simmons, defending, said it was a nasty incident, "although in mitigation there had been a build-up to the attack in the pub when Ms Atkinson swore at James's husband".

Both women had both been drinking and James had had about five pints of lager.

Mr Simmons said a fight developed in which James "came out on top and over-played the upper hand".

But the two women who lived near to each other had been and remained friends - and Ms Atkinson did not want to press an assault charge.

Mr Simmons said James admitted "something snapped" and she was deeply ashamed and regretted what happened.

James had been prescribed medication for depression which might have contributed to the incident, although she did not want to hide behind that, he added.

She was previously of good character and Mr Simmons said before the incident took place, James and her husband had applied to became licensees of the Beehive, although because of the video of the affray their application had been rejected.

There was no order for compensation and the magistrates made no order for costs.