Jessica Clement appeared before Armidale Local Court on Monday charged with assault causing actual bodily harm. 

According to police facts, Clement was drunk and yelled at  the victim shortly after 8pm in the beer garden of the hotel. 

Despite three of the victim’s male friends trying to get between the pair, Clement threw a schooner glass at the victim, striking her right cheek and narrowly missing her eye. The glass bounced off the victim’s cheek before smashing on the wall behind, and left a cut five millimetres wide. 

According to Clement’s solicitor Elizabeth Stahlut, the incident occurred within a “background of strong  emotion”  after the defendant’s long-term romantic relationship had ended. 

The court heard Clement believed the victim of her attack, a close friend, was responsible for the relationship ending.

“She realised she shouldn’t have thrown that glass,” Ms Stahlut said.

Magistrate Karen Stafford blasted the defendant for the attack. 

 “You are a whisker away from going to jail,” she said.

“I find it really despicable behaviour.”

Magistrate Stafford handed down a 12 month suspended jail sentence and fined her $600.