A missing pet rabbit led to a Goodwick woman hitting her ex-partner and grabbing his beard.

Kerry Hamilton, of Plas y Gamil, pleaded guilty to assault by beating when she appeared before Haverfordwest magistrates on Wednesday, April 25.

Sian Vaughan, prosecuting, told the bench that James Hunt came across Hamilton in Goodwick’s Tesco Express store at around 7pm on October 8, and she started asking him about her rabbit.

“He says he could smell alcohol on her. He did not know anything about the rabbit.

“She put down her shopping and came towards him.”

Hamilton, 34, hit Mr Hunt three times in his face and grabbed him by his beard.

Miss Vaughan added: “He thought she was going to punch him and so he pushed her and she landed on her bottom.

“Staff intervened because the incident was clearly getting out of control.”

CCTV footage of the incident was played to the court.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said the pair had been separated for some time.

He added that Hamilton had been given a rabbit, which she had left in her garden, but she returned home to find it had disappeared and all the gates were open.

“She felt strongly about the rabbit, as you do about family pets.”

The court heard that Hamilton was surprised to see Mr Hunt in Goodwick as he had moved to another part of Pembrokeshire, and jumped to conclusions after having a drink.

Mr Kelleher said: “It was totally unexpected to come across him in that location just after the rabbit had gone missing.”

He added that there were no injuries as a result of the incident.

Hamilton was fined £40 and ordered to pay £85 court costs and a £30 surcharge.