A JEALOUS woman punched her friend in the head after she kissed a man she had been flirting with, a court heard.

Laura Phizacklea, who pleaded guilty at court to causing assault by actual bodily harm, was said to have been drinking with her friend Karla Dixon and others at her home when the pair started arguing.

South Cumbria Magistrates’ Court was told the defendant had been ‘flirting’ with a man at her home in Barrow’s Anson Street when she went into the kitchen - only to return to see her friend kissing him.

Phizacklea, 32, was then said to have got into a furious argument with her friend before punching her, forcing her head into the wall.

Prosecutor Pam Ward told magistrates the friends had known each other for 10 months before the incident happened on November 29.

She said: “They had a close friendship and had never fallen out.

“An argument started after the kiss.

“She punched her and forced her head to hit the wall.”

The punch was said to have caused bruising to the victim’s face and forced her to go to hospital, where a wound was glued.

The victim had asked the court to impose a restraining order.

In mitigation, solicitor Karen Templeton said: “This was something completely out of character.

“She regrets what she did and she has lost a close friend.

“It’s been a very unhappy situation all around."

The defendant was sentenced to 80 hours of unpaid work.

She was also told to pay £250 compensation to the victim as well a £90 victim surcharge and £85 in costs.

No restraining order was imposed.