A MARRIED couple from North Prospect have received jail sentences for a vicious attack on a defenceless 64-year-old man with mental health problems.

Jonathan and Fiona Handley had both been found guilty at trial of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Fiona Handley had also admitted assaulting a female mature student, who was punched, kicked and lost three teeth.

Prosecutor Ali Rafati said that on June 29 last year, Fiona Handley attacked a woman at the St Johnstone Social Club at Keyham following an innocent remark which she took as an insult to her teenage son.

The woman was punched, kicked and lost three teeth, suffering facial cuts including one to her mouth apparently caused by a stiletto heel.

In the second incident on October 30 last year, while Fiona Handley was on bail, the couple attacked a 64 year-old man with mental health problems outside the Britannia Inn at Milehouse.

They told police he had boasted of molesting their daughter and then attacked them — an account described by Mr Rafati as "borderline ludicrous".

The man was knocked to the ground, injuring his head, with Fiona Handley then sitting astride him repeatedly punching him as he lay unconscious and defenceless.

Meanwhile her husband, who had drunk nine or 10 pints of real ale, stamped on his head.

Mr Rafati said Fiona Handley had a previous caution for a drunken fight with another woman outside Stoke Social Club when she accused the woman of looking at her husband.

Jonathan Handley had previous convictions for common assault and battery.

Llewellyn Sellick, for Mrs Handley, said she had been in custody for 52 days since her arrest, followed by electronic tagging.

She had emerged from prison chastened and had not touched alcohol since.

Kelly Scrivener, for unemployed Jonathan Handley, said he had held the family together while his wife was in prison, and had been to the doctor for help with his alcohol dependency.

Judge Jeremy Griggs said Fiona Handley, aged 42 and of Greatlands Crescent, North Prospect, had committed two serious assaults.

He sentenced her to a total of 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, with 12 months of supervision by the Probation Service.

He ordered her to do 200 hours of unpaid community work, banned her from both the St Johnstone Social Club and the Britannia Inn for two years, ordered her to pay £250 towards prosecution costs and imposed a 7pm-7am electronically-tagged curfew seven days a week for six months.

The judge told Jonathan Handley, aged 41 and of the same address, that CCTV evidence clearly showed him stamping on the victim's head in his heavy Dr Marten's boots.

Mrs Handley wept at the back of the court as her husband was jailed for eight months, less 21 days spent on remand, and banned from the Britannia for two years.