A WOMAN'S contact lenses fell out after she was kicked by a former work colleague, South Cheshire Magistrates' Court heard.

Bradley Taylor attacked Kristan Rodgers in Underwood Lane with the victim reporting how she was punched and then callously kicked as she lay on the floor.

The next day Taylor tried to make amends by texting her, but then ended up making an abusive phone call to his victim.

The court heard he was serving a community order at the time of the offences and had a previous conviction for assaulting another woman.

But magistrates stepped back from sending Taylor to prison and suspended his eight-week custodial sentence for 12 months.

Prosecutor Christopher Fontaine told the court that Ms Rodgers did not suffer any physical injuries in the attack, but when she was kicked "her contact lenses came out".

The pair knew each other from drinking in the same pub and at one time worked at the same company together.

The defendant messaged Ms Rodgers to apologise the next day, but the prosecutor said the conversation turned to one of "vague threats" before Taylor phoned her and called her a "fat,.... bitch".

Taylor, 27, of Capesthorne Road, Crewe had previously entered two not guilty pleas, but at the hearing he admitted assault by beating on August 23 last year as well as making a menacing and offensive phone call on August 24.

Probation officer Mike Isherwood said the defendant completed the community order imposed in 2018, but in August of last year went through some "turbulence in his personal life" after he separated from his partner.

Taylor, a warehouse operative at AO, represented himself in court and apologised for his actions.

"I just want to apologise and I think it is best that we both stay out of contact with each other. We were good friends, but now we're not," he said.

Magistrates said they were reducing Taylor's sentence from 12 weeks to eight because of his guilty pleas.

They placed him under a two-year restraining order not to contact Ms Rodgers and told him to pay her £100 compensation.

He also has to pay court costs of £520 and and a victim surcharge of £122.

• A Crewe man will not face trial over a harassment charge after the complainant failed to show up at South Cheshire Magistrates' Court today (Wednesday).

Peter Andrew Bebbington was remanded in custody ahead of a second trial on an assault charge.

Bebbington, 35, of Ruskin Road, Crewe appeared in court to answer the harassment charge over allegations he contacted Emma Myers between August 5 and 8 this year when he was prohibited from doing so by a restraining order.

He had previously entered a not guilty plea, but the court was told that Ms Myers had not shown up in court. Prosecutor Christopher Fontaine said he would not be offering any evidence and the case against Bebbington would be dismissed.

But the defendant must return to court on October 21 for trial after he denied assaulting Stacey Brassington by beating her in Crewe on August 5 at a previous hearing.