A drunk Ipswich woman who punched a stranger in the face, causing an injury to her lip, has been given a community order.

Megan Saul had been standing outside the Cock and Pye pub in Ipswich town centre talking on her phone before she approached the victim and punched her once in the face.

The victim suffered a split lip and fell to the ground.

Saul was detained by security staff and police arrived, before she was taken to a police station where she spat water in the face and on the arm of a police officer, prosecutor Callum Munday told Ipswich Crown Court on Tuesday, July 23.

Saul, 33 of Chesterton Close, Ipswich, admitted assault by beating and assaulting a police officer in November last year.

She also admitted breaching a four month prison sentence suspended for 18 months which was imposed at Ipswich Crown Court in 2023 for an offence of witness intimidation.

She was given a 12 month community order ,a 20 day rehabilitation order and a 120 day alcohol abstinence monitoring programme.

She was also fined £50 and ordered to pay the woman who suffered a split lip £200 compensation and the police officer she spat at £100 compensation. 

Benedict Peers, for Saul, said his client was ashamed of her behaviour and had expressed remorse.

He said she had found out her relationship had ended while she was at the pub and had been told by her partner not to go home.

He said Saul had mental health issues and had complied well with her suspended prison sentence order.

Mr Peers said she longer drank alcohol.