A CHANCE meeting in an Accrington pub ended with a 39-year-old woman being arrested for assaulting her partner.

But Blackburn magistrates heard her partner was also charged with breaching a non-molestation order as he should have left the pub as soon as she walked in.

Yvette Hodson, 39, of College Court, Accrington, pleaded guilty to assaulting Barry Holden. She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £50 compensation, and £100 costs.

Alexander Rostron, defending, said under the terms of the non-molestation order Mr Holden should have left the pub as soon as his estranged partner walked in.

“Had he done that she would not be here today,” said Mr Rostron. “As it is he followed her when she went outside for a cigarette and after he said some hurtful things she landed an open palmed slap on him.”

Mr Rostron said that as a result of following his client Mr Holden had been charged with two charges of breaching the non-molestation order.

Passing sentence the chairman of the bench said they accepted Hodson had been provoked.