A CARLISLE mum who was assaulted by her daughter refused to make a formal complaint against her, a court has heard.

The city’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court heard how 29-year-old Sara Butler carried out the assault on a day when both she and her mother Deborah Ferguson had been drinking.

The defendant, of Caldew Maltings, Carlisle, admitted a common assault on her mum.

Prosecutor Diane Jackson said the defendant had been at home with her mother on February 7 when an argument broke out. During this, Butler punched her mother to the head, face and body, leaving her with minor bruising.

The defendant also picked up a large kitchen knife and gestured with it towards her mother, saying: “Please stab me.”

Mrs Jackson said: “Miss Butler was arrested but Miss Ferguson refused to make a statement.

“In an interview, Miss Butler confirmed that she did commit an assault, saying she had pushed back and started to hit her.

“She said: ‘If anyone is to blame it’s me'.”

She had stressed that she had no intention whatsoever of hurting her mother with the knife as it had been meant for herself. At the end of the interview, she said she had wanted to scare her mother.

Butler later claimed she was initially defending herself but admitted that the incident had escalated and she had snapped. But she said she felt terrible that what happened had left her mum feeling scared.

A Probation Service worker who interviewed Butler told the court that the defendant was now living in a bedsit where she feels insecure, so she spends little time there.

She added that Butler suffers mental health issues, including bulimia, and that she occasionally uses cannabis.

For those reasons, she was not suitable for unpaid work.

Presiding magistrate Paul Baird told the defendant: “The things that make this worse is that it was in the family home, it was your mum and is in a domestic setting.

“On one side we can see you are really sorry this happened.”

Mr Baird added: “This is an opportunity for you to come away from this so we don’t see you again.”

Magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, with 14 rehabilitation activity days. They also fined Butler £120, with a £90 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.