Campaigners today argued she was treated sympathetically because of her background, while others argued the case showed the difference in sentencing between men and women when it comes to violent offences.
If we compare Woodward’s case to others of a similar nature, it is very telling. Twenty-three-year-old Christopher Eadie left his 34-year-old victim with facial injuries after he punched him in the face and threatened him with a kitchen knife at a party in October 2013. Despite writing a letter of apology to the court, he was sentenced by a judge to 21 months in prison.
In another incident, 27-year-old Fintan Burke was jailed for six years after kicking a woman in the face and breaking her eye socket in July 2016. Officers dealing with the case said the sentencing showed “that domestic offences will not be tolerated in our communities”.