Mother glassed man at pub after he incorrectly guessed her age

A businesswoman glassed a man in a pub garden after he overestimated when guessing her age.

Mother of one Joanne Dodd, then 39, attacked Carl Cooper after he guessed she was 43 during a light-hearted exchange at The Unicorn pub in Manchester in September last year.

Mr Cooper fled to the lavatory in an attempt to 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, a court was told.

He was left with a 10cm laceration to his face, narrowly missing his eye, and an injury to his thumb.

When questioned, Dodd, now 40, from Swinton, Salford, who runs a company that 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, she faced up to three years in jail after she admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. However, she was given a suspended sentence after Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said she was a ‘‘dedicated, hard-working woman’’ who posed no risk to the public.

The judge told Dodd: “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, hard-working 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.’‘

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