A MOTHER who punched a teenage girl repeatedly in the face at a party whilst she was subject to two suspended prison sentences has escaped jail.

Jenna Francis launched the attack after seeing a photograph of the victim kissing the boyfriend of someone she knew, Newport Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Lowri Wynn Morgan said the defendant punched the girl to the face at a gathering in the city, causing her nose to bleed and bruising to her eye.

Francis, aged 24, of Malpas, Newport, pleaded guilty to common assault.

The victim cannot be named for legal reasons as she is under 18.

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The court was told the defendant had received two suspended prison sentences in 2018.

The first was for assisting an offender when she harboured a partner who was on the run from the police for drug-related offences.

She was jailed for 15 months, suspended for 18 months.

The second conviction was for driving offences when she was sent to prison for eight weeks, suspended for 12 months.

Heath Edwards, mitigating, told the court: “The Probation Service say the defendant has made extremely good progress on the orders in place.”

Her barrister said that his client had pleaded guilty to this latest offence at the first opportunity.

Mr Edwards added: “The defendant has been the victim of violence in the past.”

He told Judge Daniel Williams that Francis had “empathy” for her victim.

Mr Edwards said: “She has no excuse for her behaviour. She reacted on impulse.

“She is 24 and has no previous convictions for violence. The defendant has never been into custody before and she has a six-year-old son who she is responsible for in stable accommodation.”

He told the judge it would be the boy who would suffer if his mother went to prison but acknowledged: “She should have thought about it at the time of course.”

Judge Williams spared Francis a prison sentence after he imposed a 12-month community order and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

As a result of her being in breach of her suspended sentences, he increased the length of the longer suspended term from 18 months to two years.

The judge warned her: “If you fail, if you fail, you can’t expect the court to put your son first.”

Francis must also pay a victim surcharge of £75 and prosecution costs of £340.

Because she is on benefits, the defendant will have to pay at a rate of £10 a week.

Before she left the dock, Judge Williams told her: “Good luck Miss Francis.”

She replied: “Thank you very much.”