A chippy owner was attacked with a plate and had mushy peas thrown at her by a customer irate that some of her order was missing.
Wendy Mountford, 55, turned violent after complaining some of her food was missing from Shepherd Street Chippy in Staffordshire on April 24 last year.
North Staffordshire Justice Centre heard that the mum-of-two ordered two meals from the takeaway to her bungalow - but when it arrived, she claimed items that had paid for were not in the bag, StokeonTrent reported.
After calling the chip shop to complain, business director Shirley Hollies decided to deliver the additional food herself and left them on Mountford’s doorstep in line with coronavirus rules at the time.
It was at this point she was greeted by Mountford who threw chips and mushy peas at her victim's back before smashing a plate in her face.
Mountford denied using the crockery as a weapon and claimed she had only been acting in self-defence after Mrs Hollies had attacked her. However, she was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm following a trial.
Now the defendant - who has a history of mental health problems - has been handed a suspended prison sentence.
Mrs Hollies, who has run the business for 10 years and has lived in the area all her life, told the court the incident has left her unable to sleep and has impacted her mental health.
She said: "We were running behind on deliveries. My daughter answered the phone and was struggling with the customer. I attended the address and put the food on the step. The door was opened by the female.
“She continued to complain and there was a male shouting about the wrong order. I felt a thud in my upper back. She threw the food.
"I looked back and saw the defendant with a plate, she ran towards me and collided it to my nose. My face was in pain - I was heavily bleeding.
"I said 'I'm calling the police when I'm back' and I drove back to the chip shop. I can't believe what happened. I went to hospital and had two black eyes. I have not been able to sleep properly. My children were crying."
The court heard Mountford had been a victim of domestic violence in the past and was made homeless back in 2002.
Janice Sain-Reiners, mitigating, told magistrates: "She's not managed to get her mental health on track. She has been to her GP. In She is unable to work. She's sorry it had occurred.
"She was on antidepressants at the time and she had one pint - the tablets tend to make her slurred."
Mountford was handed a 16-week sentence prison sentence suspended for 12 months. District Judge Marcus Waite told her: "You seemed to have reacted in a disproportionate and shocking way to what seemed like a minor complaint about food.
"You attacked the victim. You smashed a plate into her face.
"You have been a victim in the past. You have physical health and mental health difficulties. You need to stick to this order. I have given you a chance."
Mountford was also handed a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and was ordered to pay £300 compensation to the victim with £200 costs and a £128 victim surcharge.
