A WOMAN who attacked her partner with a hammer has been jailed for 18 months.

Sarah Lynch lost her temper after an argument with the man, 39, and hit him over the head four times at her home. The 45-year-old, of Elmer Road, Bognor, was convicted after a trial on February 13 last year. Sentencing, Judge Shani Barnes told Ms Lynch her victim, who was not seriously wounded, “clearly cared about you deeply”. She said: “That was clearly evident in court when he simply could not bring himself to say anything that was going to harm you.

“I had to say to him, ‘You are on oath, you have to tell this jury what happened’, and it appeared to break his heart to do so.”

Defending, Terry Brookes said Ms Lynch had previously suffered from domestic violence, which may have triggered her reaction. He said she had “expressed her regret at the whole circumstances of the evening”. He added: “She has learned her lesson and she is not about to allow her state to deteriorate in that way again.”

Judge Barnes said she would serve half her sentence and then be released on licence. She said: “It has to be acknowledged by the courts that members of the public will be protected when people take hammers to members of the public.”