A jealous Scots beautician launched a frenzied stiletto heel attack on an innocent young student while on a cocktail of cocaine and alcohol.
Amy Henderson, from Glasgow, left her 22-year-old victim facially scarred and emotionally traumatised after the hotel attack in Liverpool on January 13. The 28-year-old repeatedly struck Chloe Goddard on the forehead with the long pointed heel after pushing her to the ground and taking off one of her shoes - apparently an expensive black Louboutin.
“You pushed her to the floor and got on top of her and repeatedly used that stiletto, which was a large and pointed heel, over and over a number of times to hit her to her face in your frenzy,” said the Recorder Martine Snowdon.
“It only came to an end when others intervened to pull you off her otherwise you would have carried on. She is lucky she only has the injuries she has, it could have been much worse given they were directed to her face.”
Liverpool Crown Court heard today that the blows, numbering at least five, were perilously close to her eyes and nearly ten months later the scars to her forehead and eye brow are still visible. Henderson, who runs her own hairdressing and aesthetics business, assaulted Miss Goddard during a chance encounter while both staying in the same hotel in Liverpool during a city break.
Derek Jones, prosecuting, said that the victim and her boyfriend were staying overnight at the Inside Hotel in Old Hall Street in the city centre. Henderson was also staying there with her boyfriend. About 2 am Miss Goddard left her room to go outside and co-incidentally at the same time so did Henderson’s boyfriend and while outside they began talking.
He asked to borrow her mobile phone and she obliged and CCTV footage showed Henderson arriving on the scene and conversation talking place for a couple of minutes, said Mr Jones.
“At one point we see the defendant actually hitting her boyfriend and we see there is clearly an element of of jealousy. She has put two and two together and made five, thinking something was going on between Miss Goddard and her boyfriend.”
Miss Goddard moved towards the door to go back in but Henderson blocked her way and a struggle started between them started by Henderson. Mr Jones said that during the incident after she was pushed to the floor she was struck about ten times with the stiletto heel though the photographs taken at hospital showed about five injuries to her face.
Henderson left the scene and by chance police saw her walking around looking distressed with a scratch on her face and asked if she was ok but then realised she had been involved in the assault. The injuries to the victim included four one centimetre lacerations to her forehead which were treated with steri-strips.
When interviewed Henderson said she had drunk a bottle of Prosecco and had taken cocaine. She said she could not exactly remember what had happened. In an impact statement made this week she told how she had previously had active social life at university but had been left wary of going out in the dark alone.
“She hopes the defendant feels some remorse and learns lessons from what occurred,” said Mr Jones.
Henderson pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm. The judge sentenced her to eight months imprisonment suspended for 12 months and ordered her to carry out 150 hours unpaid work and to pay £1,000 compensation to her victim.
She also ordered the deprivation of the shoe. Paul Lewis, defending, said that the defendant, who has two cautions for drugs possession, has since been dealt with at a Scottish court for police obstruction.
He said she runs her own business and described her as “a determined and strong young woman” but said she did not always behave in the most appropriate way in drink.
“On this occasion she made a series of mis-judgements.”
Recorder Snowdon said that Henderson had attacked the victim “for inexplicable reasons that could only be borne out of drunken jealousy.” She said she had “lost control” while under the influence of drink and drugs and used a weapon.
But she accepted that Henderson had acted out of character and although she had tried to minimise the offence to a probation officer she had demonstrated some insight and regret. Heavily tattooed Henderson, who was wearing £750 white Balencia trainers, left court and leapt into a white BMW which was waiting illegally parked in a disabled bay near the court building and drove off accompanied by a male passenger.
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