A WOMAN screamed “I’m going to do you in” before beating her love rival across the face with a stiletto shaped perfume bottle, a court heard.
Jessica Baker, 20, was in a relationship with the ex-boyfriend of victim Amelia Duckworth when the two women got into a social media spat about him.
Their rivalry “heated up” to the point where Baker met Duckworth for a showdown in a park in Poundbury, Dorset.
Young mother-of-one Baker brought a distinctive Carolina Herrera perfume bottle with her and concealed it behind her back, a court heard.
Bournemouth Crown Court heard Baker told Duckworth “I’m going to do you in” and then produced the glass bottle in the shape of a stiletto shoe.
Baker lunged at her with it, striking her twice across the head and slashing her face.
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Miss Duckworth’s cousin took photos of the moment Baker launched her attack.
After the incident, Amelia was left covered in blood and suffering with concussion. Her boyfriend pressed his jumper to her head to slow the bleeding before she was rushed to hospital.
Baker appeared at Bournemouth Crown Court where she pleaded guilty to one count of actual bodily harm and another for possession of an offensive weapon following the incident on August 24, 2021.
Rob Griffiths, prosecuting, told the court how Baker met Ms Duckworth on the green in Poundbury intending to harm her.
He said: “Amelia Duckworth had been in a relationship which ended in November 2020. Her ex-partner then got into a relationship with the defendant.
“It seems that the ex had been telling the defendant about problems during his relationship with Miss Duckworth, and the defendant contacted Miss Duckworth to take issue about it.”
Mr Griffiths added how Amelia’s response was to post some pictures of herself on Instagram taken while she was in the original relationship, including a video of her being pushed by her ex.
He said that this spat culminated on August 24 when Miss Duckworth, her new boyfriend and her cousin, Georgia Hooper, were at Poundbury.
Mr Griffiths continued: “The defendant turned up. A witness saw her walking along the street. He described her as ‘walking with a purpose’.
“She had a phone in her hand and, in his words, was staring at the phone, ‘gobbing off, effing and blinding’.
“Miss Hooper said to the defendant ‘if you have something to say, just say it then’ and she responded, ‘I’m going to do you in.’
“The defendant pulled something out from behind her and went for Miss Hooper, and then struck Miss Duckworth.
“She got two blows to the back of the head and was then hit in the face by what turned out to be a perfume bottle shaped like a stiletto, which the defendant brought with her from the car.”
Miss Duckworth was then taken to hospital and had a large cut to the nose which needed butterfly stitches, a court heard.
Her head wound needed glueing while Amelia also suffered concussion and was sick as a result of the attack.
In a victim impact statement read to court by Mr Griffiths, Ms Duckworth said she had been left “traumatised” by the event and felt afraid to go out.
Rebecca Fairbairn, defending, said Baker pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and felt “genuinely remorseful”.
She said his client had been “taunted” by phone calls and texts from friends of Miss Duckworth and that it “just got too much”.
Fairbairn said: “It is the involvement of known and unknown parties that really increased the temperature in this case.
“She has genuine remorse. She knows that Miss Duckworth will live with the consequences for the rest of her life – as will Ms Baker. Ms Baker is still having issues and she was spat at the other day”.
Judge Stephen Climie sentenced Baker to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years on condition of two month curfew between 9pm and 7am.
She was made to pay a £156 victim surcharge and subjected to a two year restraining order.
Judge Climie told Baker: “You are just 20-years-old. On the occasion of this incident you found yourself in a state of mind that was caused in part by provocation by others and issues in your personal life.
“You decided to take the law into your own hands and attack someone. This is a case which comfortably crosses the custody threshold.
“If you commit an offence in the next two years you will give me no choice but to send you to prison.
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“Social media is a wonderful asset in society. There are some that say we do not adequately prepare your generation for its use.
“Learn to walk away – you don’t have to read everything. Don’t come back”.
