A WOMAN who savagely beat a man by punching and then kicking him with heavy army-issue boots has been jailed.

Sunita Prothero, of no fixed abode, called police to the scene of the incident in Abingdon on the night of June 13, claiming to have been assaulted by a man.

But when officers arrived they discovered a string of injuries to the man, which it transpired had been carried out by 43-year-old Prothero.

She was then arrested and later charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, which she later pleaded guilty to.

At her sentencing at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday Judge Zoe Smith called the injuries 'significant'.

Prothero had punched the man to his face, the court heard, before kicking him while wearing 'Swiss army boots' which retailers describe as having a 'combat assault surplus military' design.

His injuries were described as being discovered 'all over his body.'

Kellie Enever, defending, described the incident as 'impulsive' and said that prior to the attack there had been 'no issues' between Prothero and the victim.

She said that Prothero had told officers when interviewed that the attack had arisen from an argument between the two of them and that alcohol had been involved.

Ms Enever added: "This was out of character. She doesn't have an entrenched pattern of offending.

"This was an event that does lack pre-meditation."

Her defence team said Prothero appeared to show no remorse following the attack.

Ms Enever said: "She is a defendant that it has to be said isn't remorseful in the circumstances.

"But the flip side of that is that she is being extremely frank."

The court heard that after being released on bail for the assault Prothero stopped having any contact with the victim and ended up homeless and living in a tent.

She had been denied accommodation at a shelter because she was then with another man, who, the court heard, passed away shortly before Prothero's appearance at court on Thursday.

Judge Zoe Smith said: "This was a very serious assault you committed, for which you have no regret or remorse.

"It was a sustained assault."

Prothero was jailed for 12 months for the single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.