A COUPLE who were part of a family which had been traumatised by the "vicious and brutal" murder of a 17-year-old member ended up arguing during a rare night out together.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Bridget Martina Maughan wanted to hit her partner, whose brother had been the murder victim, but instead put her hand through a car windscreen.

Maughan, 27, of Foxstones Crescent, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to damaging the car window, belonging to a Red Rose Taxi.

She was given a conditional discharge for 12 months and ordered to pay £200 compensation.

Wendy Chappell, prosecuting, said the incident happened at 2.30 am on Sunday outside the taxi office in Cardwell Place. Daniel King, defending, said Maughan's partner, Peter McDonnagh, was the brother of Eamonn McDonnagh, who was found dead at the rear of the Moorings Pub about a month ago.

Mr King said: "My client and her partner have four children and on this occasion someone had agreed to look after them while they went out.

"Unfortunately they drank too much and it was a combination of that and the pressure the entire family is under that lead to this incident. My client was going to hit her husband but hit the windscreen. She then waited for the police to arrive."