A jealous Southport woman left her love rival with permanent blurred vision after smashing a stiletto heel into her eye.
Julie Green, 46, punched and kicked defenceless Amy Urquhart as she cowered on the floor before striking her repeatedly with the shoe in Lord Street, Southport.
Green, of Meadow Lane, was jailed for two-and-a-half years at Liverpool Crown Court today while her friend and co-accused Carly Rendell, 26, of Ervington in Skelmersdale , was locked up for 18 months.
Green pleaded guilty to wounding without intent and common assault and Rendell admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and common assault.
Lee Bonner, prosecuting, told the court the incident began when Miss Urquhart and her partner Stephen McLoughlin were verbally abused at the Fox and Goose pub in Cable Street, on March 8 last year.
He said: “The two complainants were in a relationship. The defendant Julie Green was Mr McLoughlin’s ex-partner, having split around two weeks before the incident, after being together three years.”
The court heard Green approached and accused Mr McLoughlin of owing her money, before telling Miss Urquhart: “You don’t know him, I was with him for three years you stupid f****** b****.”
The groups were separated by bar staff and the two victims left the bar in a taxi, stopping near the Scarisbrick Hotel for Mr McLoughlin to withdraw money from a cash machine.
Mr Bonner said: “Miss Urquhart heard a noise and saw the defendant Julie Green running towards her with her fists clenched. She tried to hit her but Miss Urquhart moved out of the way.”
As Mr McLoughlin came over to assist he was attacked by Rendell, while Green dragged Miss Urquhart to the floor and began punching her and kicking her to the head and body.
Rendell also began attacking Miss Urquhart, while Green turned her attention to Mr McLoughlin who also ended up on the floor.
Mr Bonner said Miss Urquhart had removed her stilletos to avoid falling over when Green first launched her attack.
He told the court: “Mrs Urquhart looked up to see Green holding one of her stilettos in her hand. Green then struck her in the face with the heel of the shoe, striking her a number of times.
The Queen Elizabeth II Law Courts, Liverpool Magistrates’ Court
“On one occasion the heel of the shoe connected with Miss Urquhart in the eye, causing it to close up so she could not open it.”
The attack eventually stopped after Rendell pulled Green away, shouting: “Come on that’s enough, there’s cameras.”
The court heard Miss Urquhart suffered a cut across her left eye, slashing open her tear duct, which required suturing.
She later underwent surgery to repair the wound and is likely to suffer from permanent blurred vision and scarring.
She also suffered soreness to her chest and back, a swollen nose and bruises to her head.
Mr McLoughlin suffered bumps and bruises to his head.
Michael O’Brien, defending Green, said his client was “disgusted and ashamed” and had been jealous at seeing the complainants together.
Julian Nutter, representing Rendell, joined in out of a “misguided sense of loyalty to her friend”.
He said: “She is scared out of her wits, she is not going to do this again and she is deeply sorry to those who she has wronged.”
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/