A 21-YEAR-OLD woman hit her former partner of three-and-a-half years through an open car window and then grabbed his keys, a court was told.

Lauren Brown, of St Francis Gardens, Barrow, pleaded guilty to assaulting Kieron Morris by beating him at Furness Magistrates' Court yesterday.

The incident took place at a car park in Ulverston on January 13.

Mr Lee Dacre, prosecuting, told the court that Brown saw Mr Morris in his car, went over to the vehicle and swore at him.

He said: "The defendant hit the complainant in the face through the open window.

"She removed the car keys from the ignition. The complainant ran off."

Mr Dacre said Brown then stood behind her friends with the keys before then going on to punch and scratch Mr Morris' face.

He said Brown's former partner sustained four scratches to the right hand side of his face as a result of the altercation.

In November, Brown had signed a police information notice which warned the defendant that Mr Morris no longer wanted to have any contact with her.

The court was told that Brown had no previous convictions or cautions from the police and that the row was prompted over a long-running dispute between the pair.

Mr Trystan Roberts, defending, told the court: "There is a difference to what the complainant says and what the defendant says.

"There was a chance meeting between her and the complainant. 

"She accepts she sees red and went up to the defendant and she lashed out at him.

"She has acted out of anger.

"She has never troubled the court previously.

"She's 21 and until now she has not been in any sort of trouble."

Mr Gary Ormondroyd, chair of the magistrates, fined Brown £80 and ordered her pay to compensation of £50 to Mr Morris, a victim surcharge of £20 and a contribution towards court costs of £35.

He said: "We consider this offence is a category three assault."

The money will be taken from Brown's benefit payments.