A MENTAL health nurse who glassed a pub manager in the face while under stress caring for elderly patients with coronavirus was today spared a jail sentence.

Sally Omelia was drunk and abusive to a female staff member at the Skipton Wetherspoon's pub, The Devonshire, before throwing the beer glass at Alex Drake after she was barred for six months, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Omelia, 40, of Otley Road, Skipton, said “ban this” before hurling the glass underarm at Mr Drake at around 6pm on May 11.

The glass struck him in the face causing a cut above his right eyebrow that needed hospital treatment.

Omelia pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Skipton Magistrates’ Court and was committed to the crown court for sentence.

Prosecutor Paul Canfield said she and her group were smoking in a non-smoking area outside the pub on Newmarket Street and had pushed tables together in contravention of the Covid-19 social distancing rules.

Omelia verbally abused a female staff member who went back into the pub in tears.

When she refused to apologise, Mr Drake banned her and she threw the beer glass at him.

She made off on foot and was arrested soon afterwards.

The court heard she appeared to be drunk and told the police: “My whole life is over in one quick flash.”

She made no comment to all questions in both her police interviews, Mr Canfield said.

Mr Drake said in his victim impact statement that he had worked at the pub for about four years but had now moved jobs “for professional reasons.”

He was upset by the assault and at first questioned his choice of career.

The injury had left a scar but it wasn’t life-changing, he stated.

Omelia had no previous convictions, the court was told.

Her barrister, Ken Green, said: “It’s a very sad day for Miss Omelia.”

She was a registered mental health nurse working at a care home in Silsden.

Any type of custodial sentence would put her employment in severe jeopardy, Mr Green said.

The offence was “wholly out of character” when Omelia had drunk too much and was struggling at work nursing elderly patients with suspected coronavirus.

Mr Green said she had given up alcohol completely since committing the offence.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, sentenced Omelia to a two-year community order with 250 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity days.

He said her “powerful mitigation” included coping with the stress of nursing the patients during the pandemic.

“It was one stupid mistake,” when she had stayed out of trouble until she was 40.