Mum glassed man after drinking gallon of cider (From Worcester News)

Mum glassed man after drinking gallon of cider

1:10am Thursday 16th February 2012 in News

Mum glassed man after drinking gallon of cider

A 43-year-old woman smashed a pint glass in a man’s face at a Worcestershire pub after she had been drinking.

Christine Lowe, of Fairfield Road, Evesham, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm but said she had not had a glass in her hand.

After a hearing at Worcester Crown Court, Judge John Cavell decided she had been holding the glass when she hit Tim Spires, who had gone for a drink at The Fairfield pub with friends after playing football on the evening of July 5 last year.

Mr Spires told the court he was outside in a gazebo area when Lowe tapped him on the shoulder, asked him how old he was and then accused him of selling drugs to her teenage son.

As Mr Spires turned away, she lunged at him with a pint glass still half full of lager and smashed it on his chin.

It caused a cut and as his friends tried to restrain Lowe, she caught him a glancing blow with a punch to the neck. He threw his pint over her. Other witnesses also saw Lowe with a glass in her hand.

Sophie Lomas. defending, suggested that as Lowe had hit out at Mr Spires, it was his own pint glass that had smashed and injured him.

Lowe told the court she had been in the pub from about noon and had drunk eight or nine pints of cider with a dash of lemonade.

She had gone home in the evening and returned to the pub at about 10pm after her son told her he had seen a man there who had sold him cannabis.

She said she went straight to the gazebo and challenged Mr Spires and then punched him in the face. She said she had not gone to the bar and bought a drink. Her son later told her it was the wrong man.

She said she had still been feeling “tipsy” in the evening but the amount she had drunk was not unusual for her.

Jackie Rogers, prosecuting, said that Lowe was found to be more than twice the legal drink-drive limit and was not fit to be interviewed until the following day. Miss Lomas said Lowe was now taking steps to cut down her drinking.

The court was told she had previous convictions for violence, including offences at the same pub, from which she had previously been banned, and assaulting a police officer.

Judge Cavell said an assault with a glass could have caused “terrifying” injuries. He adjourned the case for reports and warned Lowe she could be facing a jail term.