Mansfield woman punched her girlfriend after she played a 'lockdown prank' pretending she had taken an overdose

Cameron Valentine punched her now ex-partner in the arm during the incident which happened on April 12 this year, Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard on Monday, October 26.

Prosecuting, Anne-Marie Pierrepont told the court: “Emergency services were called because there was a report that the complainant had taken an overdose and when they got there they found her lying in the bathroom.

“She admitted that she was only joking and the defendant then punched her twice on the arm.”

Valentine, 23, of High Street, Pleasley, Mansfield, admitted assault when she appeared before the court.

Mitigating, Neil Taylor said: “She was told by her partner at the time that she had taken an overdose and in sheer panic she rang 999 and searched through bins to try and establish what she had taken, and it was then revealed that it was a prank.

“It caused a huge amount of upset and she admits hitting her former partner to the arm. The police have then attended and her partner refused to make a statement but Miss Valentine was arrested nonetheless.

“They still live together but the relationship is now over from a romantic point of view. It happened just after lockdown had come in and things had got too much.”

Valentine was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £21 victim surcharge.

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