A hammer-wielding woman from Sneyd Green who attacked a man in a row over a horse has appeared back in court for breaching a restraining order within 24 hours of it being made.

Kirsty Smith was told not to contact her victim after a Facebook spat about a horse named Daisy saw her brandish the tool and lash out with her fist in the street in 2020. The pair had fallen out after an exchange of messages on Facebook about her concerns for the welfare of Daisy.

As part of the order, she was banned from making social media posts about the victim. But almost immediately after the sentence, the 34-year-old posted on her own Facebook page and StokeonTrentLive's Facebook page about the case.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard that this led to the victim receiving 100 phone calls in a short period of time with people also turning up at his address. Now Smith, of Repington Road, Sneyd Green, has been handed a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to breaching a restraining order.

Prosecutor Antony Longworth said: "The relevant term in the restraining order prevented Ms Smith from making any social media posts in relation to the victim. However, that provision was of little effect.

"On June 29 2022, the victim was contacted by a friend who informed him Ms Smith had indeed been posting on her Facebook page about him and commenting on the recent case at court and was sharing her posts on StokeonTrentLive Facebook page."

Kirsty Smith was also ordered to pay £250 compensation at £20 a month (Nub News).

In a statement to the police, the victim described the effect her actions had on him. The statement read: "All of this has made me frightened to go out of the house, I'm frightened to go and see my horses because I don't know who is following me.

"I feel like a prisoner in my own home. Due to the incident I've started to drink more to help me sleep. I've joined mental health groups online so I've got people to talk to. I do this so I don't bottle things up and to try not to tell my wife to protect her from what is really going on.

"I've had random strangers showing up at my door, I don't know who they are or what they are capable of."

Paul Cliff, mitigating, said: "They are uploaded on to that news site in a relatively short period of time and then desisted. She is a young woman who has experienced a number of difficulties in her life, problems that began in her childhood, problems described as adverse childhood experiences. Problems exacerbated by a recent miscarriage which was highly traumatic."

Judge Graeme Smith sentenced the defendant to 18 months in prison suspended for two years. She was also ordered to pay £250 compensation to be paid back at £20 a month. Smith will also have to complete a one year mental health treatment requirement and 25 days rehabilitation activity days.

The Judge told Smith "You know why you are here and you know the seriousness of the matter given the comments made at the last hearing. You are incredibly lucky you are not going to custody today. This seriousness of the matter arises because this order was breached in a significant way within 24 hours of me making the order."

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