A CHARD man who injured his ex-girlfriend by picking her up and causing her to fall and and hit her head on a lamppost has been handed a community order.

James Packer, 25, of Greenfield House, admitted assaulting the female by beating her during the incident in Chard on December 27 when he appeared before Somerset Magistrates at Yeovil.

The court heard Packer was angry that he had been refused entry to the pub where she worked and began to get aggressive towards her as she walked home.

After picking her up in a fireman’s lift over his shoulder she started shouting at him to put her down and when he pushed her she lost her balance and hit her head.

A member of the public made a 999 call and the defendant was arrested, the court heard.

Packer told the court that he did not push the victim all the way down the road but said it was a situation that “quickly got out of hand” and he regretted it.

He said they had separated and got back together several times and then the offence occurred.

“It is best for us to go our own ways now,” he said.

The magistrates sentenced the defendant to a 12 month community order with a requirement to carry out 40 hours unpaid work. They also ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.