A female soldier who gave her lesbian lover a prolonged beating on Valentine's Day will not be deployed to Afghanistan as planned. She pleaded guilty in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday to a charge of common assault after police amended a more serious charge of assault with intent to injure, reports the Manawatu Standard. The woman, who was granted interim name suppression, is now facing a prison sentence that will likely see her kicked out of the Army. The full story is available on the link below. Ref: Manawatu Standard (m)