A WOMAN who headbutted her former partner while in handcuffs and in the company of police officers has appeared in court.

Kirsty Gorton, 36, of Highworth, was given a conditional discharge when she appeared at Swindon Magistrates Court yesterday charged with assaulting her partner of four years, local celebrity and marathon man Mike Buss.

The incident, which happened on Valentine’s Day this year, took place after an earlier incident the day before which led to Mr Buss calling the police to his house.

While he was giving a statement to police officers, Gorton arrived home and was told she was being arrested.

After she had been put in handcuffs, there was a further struggle and in order to calm Gorton down, Mr Buss put his hands on her head.

Prosecuting, Nick Barr said the relationship had become “stormy”, and described the moment Gorton lashed out at her partner. He said: “Mr Buss could see the police had their hands full with her (Gorton).

“He asked her to stop because he didn’t want to see her get in to further trouble. He had his hands on her head asking her to desist. As a result, there is a clash of heads.”

Defending, Rachel Chaston said her client, who has received two previous cautions in 2007 and 2010 for common assault and battery, was taken by surprise when she discovered police officers in her living room.

“She is a single parent and works full time for a local IT company.

“She had expected to come home to a normal evening. She was distressed by the circumstances and previous incidents. She was interviewed for 63 minutes and there was some bruising on her body from domestic incidents. Her reactions to the officers were a result of her being defensive.”

District Judge Simon Cooper sentenced Gorton to a 12-month conditional discharge and fined her £85.

He said: “You have pleaded guilty to what is technically assault amounting to a clash of heads causing injury or hurt to his nose, at a time when you are handcuffed by the police – there must have been a struggle, emotions must have been running high.

“You do have a bit of a record of getting in to scraps of this nature. You have to look at yourself and say ‘I must avoid getting cross with everybody’.

“I take in to account that you were dealing with a very difficult character. There is no need for punishment in this case, simply a warning would help.”