“It’s a bad example of this type of matter,” magistrate Tony Murray told Jennifer Lorraine Haynes in Albury Local Court on Monday.

“It’s just gratuitous violence.”

Mr Murray said he had no doubt the victim was upset by the recent death of his wife, the defendant’s mother.

He said it was fortunate that Haynes’ son “managed to catch him” before he fell to the floor.

Defence solicitor Peter Uniacke said the incident happened after she went to the Reid Avenue, Lavington, unit where the couple had been living.

Mr Uniacke said Haynes, a 59-year-old house cleaner, had expected the unit to be empty, but instead came across the victim and several other people.

That had surprised and shocked her, something exacerbated by her mother dying just two days before.

“In the circumstances my client could have been charged with a more serious charge, but fortunately that’s not the case,” Mr Uniacke said.

The court was told how the victim was at home with his daughter and granddaughter when Haynes went to the unit on September 27 about 8pm.

Haynes immediately approached the daughter, stood over her and began to yell aggressively.

The granddaughter said she was caught off-guard and could not recall what was said.

The daughter then called police, but while she was on the phone Haynes approached her and yelled: “You killed my mother.”

Her son dragged her away towards the front door, but Haynes pulled herself free, approached the victim and yelled into his face: “I don’t give a f … about you and your daughter.”

Haynes then pushed him over “with considerable force backwards” onto a clothes horse, inflicting bruising to one side of his body.

Haynes pleaded guilty to assault, was convicted and fined $700 and placed on a two-year good behaviour bond.