A DEESIDE woman has changed her plea and admitted assaulting the duty manager at Wetherspoons at Shotton.

Veronica Thomas, 54, of Green Lane in Shotton, also admitted a public order offence after a scuffle with another woman in the lobby of the pub on January 15.

She had been asked to leave the pub but tried to get back in to recover property, Flintshire Magistrates’ Court at Mold was told.

But in doing so she admitted assaulting Michael Harrison, the duty manager, who ended up with reddening to his face.

Thomas was fined £165 with £100 costs and she was ordered to pay £50 compensation.

District Judge Andrew Shaw said he accepted there had been an element of provocation from an unknown female customer.

Mr Harrison ejected her from the pub which was understandable, the judge told her.

But she was clearly wrong when she tried to get back in.

Any assault on a licensee was viewed seriously by the courts.

But the judge said he accepted that Thomas at the time felt a degree of unfairness in that the other woman had been allowed back into the pub.

Prosecutor David Boycott told Thomas was captured on CCTV having words with an unknown woman in the lobby. There was a scuffle and Thomas was pushed back and fell over. She got up and grabbed the other woman by the hair, but they were separated.

Mr Harrison was told what had happened and told Thomas to leave. She did so but then tried to return.

He placed his hand on her shoulder to prevent her getting past him back into the pub and it was the prosecution case that she had then slapped him in the face.

Steven Alis, defending, said his client did not accept slapping him but accepted that she pushed him and caused the reddening during the struggle that occurred.