Dionne Saville (49), of La Route du Fort, punched the man to the ground and then aimed multiple kicks to his head and upper body in Parade Gardens on a summer afternoon.

Saville was ordered to carry out 90 hours of community service and made the subject of a six-month probation order.

The Magistrate’s Court was shown CCTV footage of the attack and, when the video had finished, Assistant Magistrate Peter Harris asked Saville what she thought of her actions. She replied: ‘I think it is very bad what I did.’

Legal adviser Advocate Darry Robinson said that Saville, who had been drinking before committing the offence, had a past record for violence and had twice been prosecuted for offences of common assault.

Advocate James Bell, defending, said that the defendant recognised she should not have acted in the way she did.

He said her actions were ‘spontaneous’ and submitted that she should be given credit for making full admissions to the police.

He also handed up a letter of remorse written by the defendant. He told the court that Saville would also welcome some intervention into her life from the Probation Department.

In sentencing, Mr Harris told the defendant: ‘Just for these kicks, you could be sent to prison today.’

However, he added: ‘Nobody is going to criticise you for considering the welfare of an animal being abused. I suspect that had you been sober at the time, you would have reacted differently, but no one can condone what you did.’