A PENRITH woman suffered transphobic abuse from her former partner who then subjected her to two drink-fuelled assaults.

Amy Winskill, 31, told magistrates that she could not have attacked her ex because she "loved her too much" but, after a half-day trial, magistrates found her guilty of the two allegations of assault by beating.

Prosecutor George Shelley told the court that the first assault happened at 3am on June 18 while the second attack came at around 5pm that same day.

The first prosecution witness was the victim, Winskill’s former partner, described by Mr Shelley as a transgender female, who had lived with the defendant at an address in Pategill Road, Penrith, after they began their relationship in May, 2021.

Describing the events of June 18, the woman said that at 3am that day she was abruptly woken by the sound of banging on her front door. It was Winskill, who had been out drinking and was unable to find her house keys.

The woman went downstairs and opened the door. She said: “But as I opened the door, Amy kicked it hard and it came out of my hand and swung, hitting me in the leg. Amy came into the property, already screaming and shouting at me.”

She said the defendant then called her “disgusting” and subjected her to transphobic abuse and called her a “grass”. “She was clearly very intoxicated,” she said.

The woman retreated upstairs to a bedroom to “avoid the continuing verbal assault,” she said.  As she sat on a bed, Winskill followed her into the room and punched her on the back of the head, said the woman.

There was yet more transphobic abuse, she told the court. Fearing more trouble, she left the house and slept in her car.

The following day, she returned from work at 5pm and the two women began a conversation about who should leave the property.

Winskill became distraught and upset. When they went downstairs, said the woman, Winskill again directed "transphobic slurs" at her, saying she hated her, and attempting to punch her in the face. The woman said: “She was still very intoxicated and had been drinking throughout the day.”

As she tried to leave, she said, Winskill grabbed her right arm, tightening her grip so hard that she broke the skin.

The court was then shown video footage from a neighbour’s doorbell camera, which showed Winskill outside their house, yelling at the victim, accusing her of assault, before hitting the victim's parked car and returning to the house, slamming the door.

The police officer who arrested Winskill said she was found sitting on a bed, drinking from a wine bottle and was “immediately hostile”.

Steven Marsh, for Winskill, suggested the woman was angry with the defendant because she was drunk, prompting the victim to respond by saying that she had felt "disappointed", not angry.

In her evidence, Winskill said it was her partner who had hit her first because she was not happy that she was drinking. She accepted causing the injuries on the woman’s arm but said that happened as she defended herself.

Mr Shelley asked Winskill: “Did you call her anything related to her transgender status?” The defendant replied: “No. I just called her a grass.”

Mr Shelley said: “You were very drunk, very angry, and very aggressive.” The woman said: “I was very drunk; I wasn’t extremely angry.” The prosecutor referred to evidence from police officers that she made transphobic comments at the police station.

“I can’t recall,” said Winskill. “I would not hurt her intentionally because I love her too much.” She said the woman had persuaded her to leave her flat in Hexham and start a new life with her in Penrith. “I gave everything up,” she said.

Winskill added: “I never once hit her.”

Magistrates found Winskill, now of Springfield Road, Hexham, guilty of both assault charges. She will be sentenced on August 17 after background reports have been prepared.

In the meantime, she was granted bail with a condition to have no contact with the victim of her two assaults.