A woman has been sentenced after admitting to intimidating a witness at Ballymena courthouse.

Georgia Wright, 23, of St Patrick's Avenue in Ballymena, was charged with intimidation following an incident on May 15. She appeared before Deputy District Judge Mark Hamill on October 15.

The court heard that a police officer was at the courthouse for a contest in which a man was found guilty of assaulting a female. Wright had acted as a witness for the man.

After the result, police sitting near the exit heard Wright say to the female victim: "Watch your back".

Wright made a full admission in interview. She said she made the comment because she believed the witness had been lying, that she did not mean anything by it, and that it was said out of anger.

A defence barrister said the incident was borne out of misguided loyalty and that Wright wished to convey her sincere remorse.

Judge Hamill said he was astonished that an intimidation of a witness case was being dealt with at the Magistrates' Court and not the Crown Court. He told Wright she had mouthed off in the earshot of two police officers and described her actions as mindbogglingly stupid.

He handed down a one-year conditional discharge, which he called a fool's pardon, and warned her not to re-offend, as if the case was reopened another judge might impose an immediate custodial sentence.