Woman punched in face during boozy row over e-cigarette in Derbyshire town

The victim was struck after spending an evening drinking with defendant Dennis Cass in Ripley town centre – having met him the same night while out drinking.

Prosecutor Alison McIlroy described how on July 2 the pair “bumped into each other throughout the night”.

However around 4.20am a taxi driver alerted police to an incident outside a pub.

She said: “There appears to have been an incident between the two which resulted in an unprovoked assault by Mr Cass on her outside a pub.

"She reported being punched in the face which left her with a cut on the upper lip and said she had not done anything to deserve this assault.”

However Cass’s defence solicitor said the victim had not been completely “honest” about the incident.

The court heard the row started over an e-cigarette which Cass had offered to the victim.

Cass’s solicitor said: “It was all over a vape – he had given her the vape and she said it was not working and threw it at him.”

The defendant had previous convictions for assault and public order offences.

Cass, 28, of Stringer Drive, Somercotes, admitted common assault and his case was adjourned for a probation report.