A DISPUTE between ex-partners ended with both of them in court after a woman turned up at her former boyfriend's house brandishing a steak knife only to be attacked by him with a tree branch.

On Wednesday, August 21, Liverpool Crown Court heard how Natalie Rickets, 42, arrived at Stephen Balnaves address on St Annes Grove, Birkenhead after their 16-year-old daughter alleged she had been assaulted by her dad.

Video footage shown to the court taken by Balnaves' terrified girlfriend on January 11 this year captured Ricketts banging on the door of the house and demanding to speak to Balnaves, 43, who was not at home. 

She then banged on the window with the knife and spat on them, shouting "tell her to come out. I'll have a fight with her woman to woman, no weapons involved'."

Prosecutor Simran Garcha described how one of Balvanes' teenage children left the house via the back door to warn his dad, who was on the school run, that his ex was armed and on the driveway of the house. 

Ms Garcha said that when Balvanes arrived on the scene he used a branch to attack Rickets "causing her to fall and sustain a wound to her head" before kicking her once while she was on the ground. 

He was arrested at the scene with Ricketts taken to hospital where she was later also arrested. 

Appearing in court the previous day to his ex, Balnaves, who has four previous convictions for nine offences, pleaded guilty to section 20 wounding, and was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, a 12 month mental health treatment requirement and 15 rehabilitation days.

Ricketts, of St Edmonds Road, Bootle, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife in a public place and affray. 

She has no previous convictions and was described by Paul Davidson, defending, as a "single parent of three children who is disgusted and remorseful" of her behaviour.

Sentencing Ricketts, Judge Simon Medland, said: "Your relationship (with Balnaves) had got into such a state that you behaved in a completely unacceptable way."

He made Ricketts the subject of an 18 month community order with 20 days of rehabilitation. 

She was ordered to observe a tagged curfew between 8pm-8am and Judge Medland imposed a restraining order for her not to contact or approach Balnaves.