A prolific offender has avoided prison despite breaching a suspended sentence in what a judge has dubbed an ‘exceptional case’.

Ella Pecko, of Donnington Bridge Road, Oxford, admitted to assaulting a man in Luther Street only three months after she was given a second chance in court following a series of thefts and a breach of a suspended sentence.

The 34-year-old appeared before Judge Michael Gledhill in Oxford Crown Court in May last year and was handed an 18-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

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He had previously deferred the sentence, stating he was ‘very pleased’ with her progress working on her drug addiction.

However, only three months later, Pecko assaulted Daniel McMaster on August 5 last year in what her defence barrister Peter du Feu described as her ‘falling off the wagon’.

She appeared at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday (January 7) where she avoided an immediate custodial sentence again in what Judge Nigel Daly described as an ‘exceptional case’.

Mr du Feu explained that Pecko had been on a methadone script but had ‘tried to come down too hard’ resulting in a ‘temporary relapse’.

He said the victim was known to her and the assault was ‘something to do with a slashed tent in the past’.

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The court heard that Pecko has since obtained her own accommodation and spends her day ‘preparing food, gardening and minding her own business’.

Speaking to Pecko, Judge Daly said: “I know an awful lot about you, I’ve been seeing you regularly. When you started doing your DRR (drug rehabilitation requirement), you started exceptionally well.

“You remember I told you be careful because you don’t want to come off too quickly as you don’t want to relapse and unfortunately that’s what happened.

“It is quite clear this occurred during a period where you relapsed. When you relapse these sort of things happen.

“What’s impressive about you is when you relapsed you appeared before court again and said you were going to carry on where you left off and get back to where you were before.

“That is an exceptionally difficult thing to do.”

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He handed her a 12 month conditional discharge for the assault and a £200 fine for the breach of the suspended sentence.

“I’m not downplaying [the assault],” said Judge Daly. “It was very, very serious. It’s an exceptional case and I make that quite clear I would not usually pass a sentence like this for a breach and assault.”

Pecko, who came prepped with a bag for custody, cried as the sentence was delivered.