A MOTHER-of-one who ran over a model and left her for dead in the road has walked free from court.

Chantelle Anne Matthews, 19, of Scallows Lane, West Wellow, Romsey, was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years after pleading guilty to wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm.

She was also banned from driving for two years and given a restraining order from Faye Townsend for three years.

Andrew Houston, prosecuting, told the court Miss Townsend had dated Mark Hilden before he began seeing the defendant.

He told the court: "At first the defendant seemed to enjoy rubbing Faye's nose in the fact she was dating Mr Hilden."

Mr Houston said that three days before the incident, the defendant confronted Miss Townsend in a petrol station in Ower and shouted at her: "He's my f****** husband now, stay away from him."

She then took off her belt and wrapped it round her hand as she left, Mr Houston said.

He said Miss Townsend, who remained calm, responded by saying that Matthews was embarrassing herself and added: "I am moving on with my life, you have got Mark, it's over, it was over 12 months ago."

Mr Houston said Miss Townsend was walking along Tutts Lane with a friend when she saw the defendant swerve her Nissan Micra towards her, before Mr Hilden, in the passenger seat, grabbed the steering wheel to avoid a collision.

He said the defendant then dropped Mr Hilden off and drove back and hit Miss Townsend from behind, flipping her up into the air and down on to the windscreen.

Matthews drove off and abandoned the car but handed herself in to police a day later, Mr Houston said.

Model and dancer Miss Towsend was left fighting for her life in a coma after she suffered severe head injuries in the hit-and-run crash.

She was found lying in the road by a member of the public and the car was found dumped in Calmore after the incident, which happened on December 1, 2015.

Miss Townsend, who was 23 at the time of the collision, spent three weeks in Southampton General Hospital before being allowed home in time to spend Christmas with her family.

During her stay in hospital friends took to social media to wish her a speedy recovery using the hashtag #prayforfaye.

A Facebook post from Miss Townsend in which she proclaimed: “I am alive” attracted hundreds of likes from friends, family and well-wishers.

One friend, Chelsea Philps, said: “I’m so happy you’re home, you’re a fighter.”

Miss Townsend, a former pupil of the Mountbatten School in Romsey and Eastleigh College, has done shoots for London’s Pure Studios and worked for Glam Entertainment Enterprise Ltd.

Matthews, who has a five-month-old daughter, was also given a curfew between 7pm and 7am and complete a 12 month community order with a 30 day rehabilitation requirement.