A HAIRDRESSER who kicked a woman in the head as she lay on the ground in York has narrowly escaped jail for her drink-fuelled violence.

Carly Jane Holland wanted Natasha McWilliams to " hurt as much as she did" when she saw her partner kissing the victim late at night, Chris Smith told York Crown Court sitting in Leeds.

She pushed Ms McWilliams to the ground and kicked her three or four times in the head and ribs before police could pull her off her. The victim suffered injuries to her face, jaw, teeth and knees.

Recorder Guy Kearl QC said: "It is quite plain that you simply lost your temper and lost control of yourself. This other person had no knowledge of you, nor did she know what was going to happen to her."

He added: "There is another and very different side to you. People speak of you as being pleasant, easygoing, hard-working and dedicated, all things which plainly you were not on that evening.

"I am concerned this was fuelled by alcohol. You have come within an ace of a prison sentence."

He put Holland under a nightly curfew for Friday and Saturday nights for six months to stop her drinking, and ordered her to do 100 hours' community punishment and pay £150 compensation to Ms McWilliams. Holland, 20, of Moor Lane, Woodthorpe pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Mr Smith said Ms McWilliams had been out drinking with friends.

In the early hours of Saturday February 5 she was near the Salt And Pepper takeaway in North Street when a man, who turned out to be Holland's boyfriend, approached and began kissing her. Holland rounded first on her boyfriend before pushing Ms McWilliams to the ground and started kicking her.

Defending, Geraldine Kelly said Holland denied pushing the other woman to the ground. She had been emotionally upset by her boyfriend's actions and was sorry for what she had done. She rarely went out drinking. The barrister handed in references from Holland's employers, mother and a family friend.

Updated: 11:44 Saturday, March 12, 2005