A mother of three battered her boyfriend about the head with a crowbar after he accidentally dropped a slice of pizza on the floor as they ate a takeaway.

Kirsty Saccani, 31, overreacted and berated her former partner when she saw the food drop off a table during a Bank Holiday night in.

Although he tried to apologise, Saccani began waving a kitchen knife at him saying: ''You'll get this in your throat.''

Afterwards when he tried to leave their home, in Stockport , Saccani grabbed the iron bar and bludgeoned the victim over the top of his head as he was walking out of the door. He was later given eight stitches for a 6cm wound.

At Minshull Street Crown Court Saccani admitted causing grievous bodily harm but she escaped jail after her ex-boyfriend filed a statement saying he did not want her to go to prison. She claimed the iron bar was an ''ornament.'' The pair have now split up.

The court heard Saccani and the victim, who have a child together, had been in a relationship for five years but had frequent rows.

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Darren Preston, prosecuting said: ''Over time, the relationship became more volatile, with her becoming jealous and insecure.

''Often the most trivial arguments would get completely out of hand. On 27th August 2018, the defendant had been in bed most of the day as she had been out until the early hours from the night before.

''That evening, they got a take away but whilst settling down to eat, he dropped some food onto the floor, resulting in her shouting at him. He apologised, but she stood in the kitchen doorway holding a kitchen knife, yelling that he would ''get this in your throat.''

''He told her that he was not going to put up with her any more and went upstairs to get changed in order to leave the address. But as he went to leave, she stood in his way with a baseball bat in her hand.

''He wrestled the bat from her and put it down and then turned to go out of the front door. But as he turned away from her, she took hold of what the crown say was a crowbar and began swinging it at him and brought it down on top of his head.

''He immediately started to bleed and she threw a towel at him to clean himself up as he scrambled around for his van keys. He left and went to his mother’s house from where the police were called.

''He attended Stepping Hill hospital where he was found to have a 6cm laceration to his head requiring 8 stitches. A police officer attended and spoke to the victim before going to the defendant’s address and arresting her.

''She noted an injury to the defendant’s face, and she was herself complaining that she had been assaulted. Having been arrested, the defendant was interviewed at the station. She told the police that he had been in a mood with her all day and that he threw his food at her.

"She said she asked him to leave but he refused, taunting her. She said she pointed a baseball bat at him and told him to leave, and there was then a struggle at the door. She said during the struggle the door hit her, and when she slammed it it hit him.

''She said she was more hurt than him. She said that he was the one who was abusive in the relationship and she denied that she hit him with anything, or that she deliberately hurt him at all. She said she thought his injury would have been caused from when they wrestled with the door.

In a statement the victim said: ''She has made my life difficult over contact with our son, and I have suffered stress resulting me taking medication and losing weight. I don't want her to go to prison - I want her to be a good mother to our son - contact arrangements are now working at the moment.''

In mitigation defence lawyer Nicola Carroll said of Saccani: 'She was under an enormous amount of stress at the time. While this offence clearly crosses the custody threshold I ask that you suspend that sentence.

''This was a toxic relationship between the defendant and the complainant although that does not excuse her actions. She says that ending the relationship with him has been the best decision she has made in years.

''She is not an inherently bad person. She has signed up to counselling which will help with the trauma caused by the relationship and how to deal with relationship issues in future. She has joined a gym, she is eating healthily and is currently looking for employment.

''The author of the pre sentence report is satisfied that she is motivated to sort herself out. I draw attention to the impact an immediate custodial sentence would have on her children. She shows a willingness and ability to change, not just for herself but for her children.'

Saccani was given 18 months jail suspended for two years and was ordered to complete 150 hours unpaid work.

Sentencing Judge Bernadette Baxter told her: ''You were in a volatile on off relationship and you admit yourself that you are your own worst enemy. An argument erupted with your then partner over something being dropped on the floor.

''When he got up and went to leave you picked up an ornament and hit him over the head resulting in a cut which needed stitches. This was all aggravated by the fact it took place in the victim’s home. It is my public duty to give you a custodial sentence but the question is whether that sentence has to be immediate.

''I am convinced that this has been something of a wake up call for you. And that you are now in the process of sorting yourself out and setting a better example for your children.''