A jockey who scarred a glamorous love rival for life by drunkenly attacking her with a glass of water after a day at the races broke down and cried when a judge freed her, much to the fury of her victim.
Mia Troake, 22, smashed a glass of gin into the face of fellow jockey Felicity Calveley after taunting her in a restaurant.
Miss Calveley had previously dated Troake’s boyfriend and they made fun of the relationship.
In the moments before the assault, Troake, who works in childcare services, said: “Do you want to fuck my boyfriend?” to which Miss Calveley flippantly replied: “Yes, I want to fuck him.”
Troake then threw the stemmed glass at the victim’s face, cutting his upper lip and leaving fragments in his face.
Estate agent Miss Calveley, from Tarporley, Cheshire, needed five stitches and subsequently lost her job because she needed to take time off and lost her confidence following the assault.
Mia Troake scarred a glamorous love rival for life by drunkenly attacking him after a day at the races
Miss Calveley needed stitches to her face after the violent attack.
She said: ‘The scar on my face is a constant reminder of the attack and often prompts questions from others, forcing me to repeatedly recount the traumatic event.
‘For months after the incident, even smiling was painful, severely affecting my ability to express happiness. I have suffered from extreme anxiety, especially in social situations. The sound of breaking glass triggers panic attacks and I find it difficult to relax in crowded spaces.
‘I have been diagnosed with mild PTSD and am receiving online cognitive behavioral therapy to manage symptoms. I can only go to bars or restaurants with trusted friends, which limits my social interactions and support network. The emotional toll of retelling the story of the attack hampers my ability to form new social connections.
‘On the professional front, I took three months off work as a real estate agent due to the lack of confidence I felt when visiting strangers’ houses. Ultimately, this led to my dismissal. I found another similar position, but had to leave due to self-confidence issues and an inability to perform as I had before.’
Felicity Calveley was attacked with a glass on an ex-boyfriend by Mia Troake in 2022
Miss Calveley, from Tarporley, Cheshire, needed five stitches and subsequently lost her job.
Miss Calveley told the court the scar on her face is a constant reminder of the attack.
Troake avoided being sent to prison after Chester Crown Court heard she felt unsafe.
Mia Troake (left) smashed a glass of gin into the face of fellow jockey Felicity Calveley (right) after taunting her in a restaurant because the victim used to date her boyfriend.
At Chester Crown Court, Troake, of Longwell Green, near Bristol, faced up to three years in jail under sentencing guidelines after admitting unlawful wounding, but wept in the dock as she was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years, ordered to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in compensation to Miss Calveley.
The victim, who attended the proceedings alongside her current boyfriend, said afterwards: “The fact that she is getting away with 100 hours of unpaid work doesn’t affect her in any way. The fact is that she is getting away with it so easily. I am very disappointed that this is the justice I am getting.”
The incident occurred on 24 September 2022 after Troake, then 20 and living in Chester, went out drinking following the season finale of racing in the city.
Ms Calveley is furious that her attacker did not go to prison for the violent attack.
Ms Calveley suffered anxiety following the attack, which meant she was unable to return to work.
Tom McLoughln, prosecuting, said: “Felicity Calveley was the ex-partner of the defendant’s boyfriend at the time of the offence. On the night in question, they were at two parties at the Church Café on Newgate Street in Chester.
‘The relationship between the two groups was civil. They greeted each other and then parted ways. But a short time later, the defendant approached Miss Calveley and appeared to be drunk. The defendant had a glass of gin in his hand and asked Miss Calveley: ‘Do you want to fuck him?’, referring to the boyfriend.
‘Miss Calveley said ‘Yes, I want to fuck him’ or something to that effect and the situation escalated dramatically. The defendant hit Miss Calveley in the face with a glass of gin and said ‘Fuck you’. Miss Calveley realised she had liquid on her face but mistook it for the liquid in the glass. She suddenly realised it was her own blood.’
Troake had no previous convictions. Mitigating, defence counsel Peter Barnett said his client had subsequently split up with her boyfriend, adding: “It seems quite clear that at the time she had issues of insecurity regarding her relationship and the partner she had at the time.
Troake’s lawyer said she had subsequently split from her boyfriend, adding: “It seems pretty clear that at the time she was having some insecurity issues.”
Felicity Calveley outside Chester Crown Court with her current boyfriend Alex Gattward
“It is clear that this attack was impulsive, unplanned, a one-hit-wonder. She was immature and lacked life experience. She showed clear remorse in conversations with the probation officer.”
Sentencing, the judge, Recorder Eric Lamb, also issued Troake with a restraining order banning him from contacting Miss Calveley indefinitely.
He told her: ‘The effects of what you have done to Felicity Calveley have been long lasting and substantial.
‘Miss Calveley has made it clear that his actions have caused her to feel plagued by anxiety and fear. It has left her with mild PTSD, which she must undergo cognitive behavioural therapy to try to overcome.
‘Not only has he suffered medically, he has also suffered many substantial effects, the impact on his social life, his work was affected for months, it had a direct consequence on his finances.
“All of this is a direct result of having had too much to drink over the course of one day and choosing to confront someone you clearly considered your rival.”