AN Essex woman who hit her partner over the head with a wine bottle during a row has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Charley Burge, 26, and her partner had been drinking and were “tussling” during an argument when Burge picked up the bottle and hit her partner over the head with it causing a cut which was treated at Colchester Hospital with steristrips, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Burge of Beache Road, Colchester, admitted an offence of unlawful wounding which took place in October last year.

She was given a 15-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, a mental health treatment requirement, 60 hours unpaid work and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Sentencing her, Judge Nicola Talbot-Hadley, described the wound caused by the bottle as “nasty”.

She said the two women had been in a relationship for around a year and the defendant had been the victim of violence as well as being the perpetrator.

Stephen Mather for Burge said his client was taking a break from relationships and planned to do a welding course and to move away from Essex.

He said she used alcohol as a crutch when she was drunk.