WEYMOUTH and Portland borough councillor Christine James has admitted assaulting her estranged husband and council colleague Ian after he started seeing another woman.

Magistrates were told Christine Mary James, 52, of Norfolk Road, Weymouth, was ‘screaming like a banshee’ when she attacked Councillor Ian James at the home of his girlfriend Alison Cocks, who has previously been in a relationship with borough councillor and former mayor Tim Munro.

Christine James admitted a charge of common assault at Weymouth Magistrates Court yesterday and was given an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay £200 costs.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Valera told magistrates Ian and Christine James’s 21-year relationship had ended around three months before the assault in August.

Miss Valera said the pair had been at their grandchild’s first birthday party and ‘words were exchanged’ between them before Mr James left.

The court heard Christine James, a Lib-Dem councillor later went to the home of Alison Cocks in Mount Pleasant Avenue, Weymouth, while Mr James, a Tory councillor was there.

Quoting from Mr James’s police statement, Miss Valera said: “All of a sudden the front door opened and Christine James came into the house.

“He said she came bursting through the kitchen door.

“He said: ‘She came straight towards me, screaming like a banshee.’ ”

Magistrates heard Mrs James was swearing and said: “What are you doing here? You’re a liar.”

The court heard Mr James told police: “She was stood in front of me, absolutely mad and swinging punches at me.”

Magistrates heard several of the blows landed and Mr James called the police.

Miss Valera said Mr James told the police: “Once she saw I was calling the police she turned around and stormed out of the house, slamming all the doors on the way. She was shouting similar abuse while outside the house.”

Magistrates heard a 16-year-old girl was in the premises at the time and the incident lasted five minutes.

Miss Valera said Miss Cocks was ‘mortified’ that James had entered her home and described her as being ‘in a blind rage’.

The court heard Christine James was also cautioned earlier this year on a charge of battery after slapping her 24-year-old daughter across the face in June.

The court heard that James had been drinking.

Holly Huxtable, mitigating, said: “This is an extremely regrettable case and very sad that 21 years together and 19 years of marriage has come to end in this way.”

Miss Huxtable said James has now been prescribed anti-depressants by her doctor and, despite bringing home £665 per month in councillor expenses, was ‘struggling financially'.