Sign into an existing account

A drunk businesswoman who glassed a pub drinker after he wrongly guessed her age has been spared jail after a female judge said 'one person's banter may be insulting to others'.

Mother-of-one Joanne Dodd, 39, flew into a rage and attacked Carl Cooper after he suggested she was 43 in the beer garden of the Unicorn pub in Manchester city centre on September 9 last year.

Mr Cooper fled to the toilet in a bid to get away from the heated situation, but when he came out Dodd ran towards him and twice shoved her wine glass in his face.

He was left with a four inch laceration to his face, narrowly missing his eye, and an injury to his thumb.

When quizzed Dodd, who runs a firm which organises children's sleepover parties, said she was suffering from 'low self esteem' at the time and said the banter was 'disobliging' towards her.

At Manchester Crown Court, Dodd, who is from Swinton in Salford, faced up to three years in jail under sentencing guidelines after she admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.

However, she was spared jail and handed a suspended sentence after Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said she was a 'dedicated, hardworking woman' who posed no risk to the public.

The judge told Dodd: 'It is obvious that you had been drinking heavily and there was undoubtedly some verbal exchange between you and the other group.

'You did not appreciate the comments made by Mr Cooper and one person's banter may be insulting to other people but that did not justify what you then went on to do.

'You were seen to be approaching him, throwing your drink over him and then striking him deliberately in the face with the glass that you had. Your conduct was incomprehensible.

'The only explanation that can really be put forward is that you were under the influence of drink, which does you no credit.

'It was no doubt traumatic for Mr Cooper and it would have had an impact on him. Fortunately he seems to have made a good recovery.

'I have seen the photo where the scar is barely noticeable but to him it will be a constant reminder of your conduct on that night. There was a very unpleasant injury, it is a grave injury, but fortunately there is no permanent disfigurement.'

The judge added: 'There is no mitigation about the circumstances of the offence itself but there is mitigation in relation to you.

'You are a woman with no previous convictions. You have never been in a court of law before and you have positive good character.

'It is accepted that you are a dedicated, hardworking woman, and undoubtedly a loving mother.

'It is right that you were remorseful from the beginning of the events at the police station.

'There is no doubt that this offence is so serious that it crosses the custody threshold. The issue is whether the sentence is immediate or can be suspended.

'There can be no doubt in this case that you are no risk to the public and that this offence was entirely out of character and I suspect that having been so shaken by your own conduct the court will never see you again.

'Perhaps more importantly you are a mother of a young child. Although, no doubt, the child would be taken care of, an immediate term of imprisonment would have a devastating effect on your child. It would be disproportionate to the sentence that needs to be imposed.'

The incident occurred on September 9 last year when Dodd was out with her sister at The Unicorn pub in Manchester city centre.

Prosecutor Emma Clark said: 'Carl Cooper and his friend Stuart Coleman were in the beer garden and the defendant was intoxicated.

'Mr Cooper and his friends were having a light-hearted conversation with the defendant's sister before the conversation turned to age.

'Mr Cooper guessed the ages of the two women - but the defendant took offence at Mr Cooper's guess. The conversation then became heated from there and she told Mr Cooper that she would glass him.

'He went to the toilet to get away from the situation and the defendant and her sister proceeded to the main bar area.

'But she caught sight of Mr Cooper as he left the toilet and immediately ran towards him, striking him twice in the face with a glass causing a laceration to the face and narrowly missing his eye.

'The defendant left the Unicorn pub shortly after the attack and was subsequently arrested at a Tesco store a short time later. The injury to Mr Coooper's face was treated with stitches.'

Dodd was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months and was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. She was also ordered to pay £800 in compensation to her victim.

Her barrister Mark Friend said: 'So far as the offence itself was concerned, it may be a case where the less said the better.

'But the events since that time remain very firmly in the mind of Miss Dodd. She deeply regrets this and apologises profusely to the complainant for her actions on that day.

'It may be said that some of what had been termed banter between them was rather disobliging but the defendant does not seek to excuse or explain her actions. There was also an unfortunate coalition of factors that were impacting on the defendant on that occasion.

'There were issues in relation to the loss of her father and issues of self esteem and self worth. The loss of her good character in the way she has is a burden she carries very severely.

'In reality this court can be most assured that Miss Dodd will not darken the doors of the court or any other court in the future.'