A mum-of-two who went berserk and beat up a 13-year-old boy after she accused him of threatening her boyfriend with an air rifle wept as she walked free from court.
Warrington magistrates court heard how tele marketing worker Lavinia Pinner, 42, punched, kicked, scratched and bit the lad twice whilst banging his head against a wall.
She had lost her temper when the teen, who cannot be named, pointed the weapon at her partner's face during an argument.
He sustained multiple bruising to his arms and back plus cuts and scratches to his face, as well as bite marks to his elbow.
She also smashed up the lad's iPhone during the incident at an address in Cheshire.
In apologising for her actions, the mum said that what she did "done is unforgivable", adding that she didn't "know what happened to me that evening".
Appearing at court, Pinner faced 18 months jail under sentencing guidelines, after she pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, criminal damage and unrelated offences of possessing the drug ketamine.
But she was sentenced to 12 months in custody, suspended for 18 months and was also ordered to undertake 35 days of rehabilitative activity with the probation service.
The reason for the argument is unknown and the youngster declined to give a statement when police were called.
The court heard how the gun had been bought for him by his father and fires metal pellets, which Pinner claimed could "kill someone."
The incident occurred on July 20 last year, after Pinner and her unnamed boyfriend got into a row with the teenager after they went to an address following a night out ten pin bowling.
Miss Laura Simpson, prosecuting, said: "Following the argument the defendant has attacked the victim. The victim has gone into his bedroom and the defendant has gone in and continued to assault him.
"She was throwing items around, causing damage to his bedroom, and broke his iPhone. She had punched and scratched him. She had also bitten him twice and banged his head against a wall.
"The victim saw a doctor following the incident. The injuries were a scratch to the face, cuts behind his ear, on his left hand, his collarbone and on his nose.
"He had bite marks on his elbow and on his back and bruises to his arms and back. Whilst in custody, following the defendant's arrest, a small bag containing ketamine was found on her person."
She added that the victim has "not provided a victim statement," and he "retracted support for the prosecution."
Pinner had one previous conviction for drink-driving from 2019.
She told the hearing: "He had been bought a massive rifle by his dad. They have metal pellets so if you shoot someone in the face you can actually kill somebody with it. He was holding a gun into someone else's face and my head just went in that moment.
"I just want to say that no person is more sorry about what they have done than I am.
"I don't really know what happened to me that evening. I was a victim for over 20 years of mental abuse but I know what I have done is unforgivable. I can only say I am so sorry for what I have done and I was shocked myself for what I did."
She added: "My daughter has fallen out with me because of what I've done. I totally understand that but I just hope that I can make it up. My daughter won't speak to me at the moment, and I hope that will change."
In sentencing Pinner, Justice of the Peace Alf Bean told her: "What the bench finds is that this assault is quite abhorrent. That's because it was a vulnerable child aged just 13-years-old at the time.
"You may have been alarmed that he pointed the pellet type gun in your partner's face and potentially it may have killed someone but the fact is you can not behave the way you behaved towards any child and expect to get away with it and not face the full punishment of the law.
"We are minded that this has crossed the custody threshold, therefore you will be getting a custodial sentence for this offence.
"However, after much deliberation, we have decided to give you the benefit of a suspended sentence order.
"So, while there is a custodial sentence order you will not be going to prison today but you could go to prison in future depending on whether you adhere to the order.
"This assault was abhorrent. You were pushing, punching, biting and scratching him. It was wholly unacceptable. The sword of Damocles is now hanging over your head for the next 18 months.
"We just want to remind you how close you came today to going to prison. There was debate as to whether you can be rehabilitated.
"This was a serious assault involving a youth. It was wholly unacceptable."
