A drunk businesswoman who gave a drink to a pub drinker after he wrongly guessed her age has been spared jail after a judge said “one person’s jokes can be insulting to another”.
Joanne Dodd, 39, a mother of one, became enraged and attacked Carl Cooper after he suggested she was 43 during a light-hearted exchange in the beer garden of the Unicorn pub in Manchester city center on September 9 of last year.
Mr Cooper fled to the bathroom in an attempt to escape the heated situation, but when he emerged, Dodd ran towards him and threw the wine glass in his face twice.
He was left with a four-inch laceration on his face, almost missing his eye, and an injury to his thumb.
When asked, Dodd, who runs a company that organizes sleepovers for children, said she was suffering from “low self-esteem” at the time and that the jokes were “impolite” toward her.
Mum-of-one Joanne Dodd was left furious when a man assumed he was four years older than her.
When asked, Dodd said she was suffering from “low self-esteem” at the time and said the jokes were “disregarding” her.
Dodd, now 40, runs a business that hosts sleepovers for children.
The incident happened at the Unicorn pub (pictured) in Manchester city center on September 9 last year.
At Manchester Crown Court, Dodd, who is from Swinton in Salford, faced up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm.
However, she was spared jail and given a suspended sentence after Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said she was a “dedicated and hard-working woman” who posed no risk to the public.
The judge told Dodd: “It is obvious that you had been drinking heavily and there was no doubt some verbal exchange between you and the other group.”
“You did not appreciate the comments made by Mr. Cooper and one person’s jokes may be insulting to other people, but that did not justify what you did next.
“You were seen approaching him, throwing your drink at him and then deliberately hitting him in the face with the glass you were holding. “Your behavior was incomprehensible.
“The only explanation that can really be given is that you were under the influence of drink, which does not credit you.
“It was certainly traumatic for Mr Cooper and would have had an impact on him. Fortunately he appears to have recovered well.
‘I’ve seen the photo where the scar is barely noticeable, but for him it will be a constant reminder of your behavior that night. There was a very nasty injury, it’s a serious injury, but fortunately there is no permanent disfigurement.’
The judge added: ‘There is no mitigating circumstance regarding the circumstances of the crime itself, but there is in relation to you.
‘You are a woman without prior convictions. She has never been in a court of law before and has a good positive character.
‘It is accepted that you are a dedicated, hard-working woman and, without a doubt, a loving mother.
‘It is true that you regretted the events at the police station from the beginning.
‘There is no doubt that this offense is so serious that it crosses the custody threshold. The question is whether the sentence is immediate or can be suspended.
‘There can be no doubt in this case that you pose no risk to the public and that this offense was completely out of character and I suspect that, being so shocked by your own conduct, the court will never see you again.
Dodd, who is from Swinton in Salford, faced up to three years in prison under sentencing guidelines after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm.
‘Perhaps the most important thing is that you are the mother of a young child. Although the boy would undoubtedly be cared for, an immediate prison sentence would have a devastating effect on his son. It would be disproportionate to the penalty that should be imposed.’
The incident occurred on September 9 last year when Dodd was with her sister at The Unicorn pub in Manchester city centre.
Prosecutor Emma Clark said: “Carl Cooper and his friend Stuart Coleman were in the beer garden and the defendant was drunk.”
‘Mr Cooper and his friends were having a lighthearted conversation with the defendant’s sister before the conversation turned to age.
‘Mr Cooper guessed the ages of the two women, but the defendant took offense to Mr Cooper’s guess. The conversation became heated from there and she told Mr. Cooper that she would crystallize it.
‘She went to the bathroom to escape the situation and the defendant and her sister made their way to the main area of the bar.
“But she saw Mr Cooper as he came out of the bathroom and immediately ran towards him, hitting him twice in the face with a glass, causing a laceration to his face and narrowly missing his eye.
‘The accused left the Unicorn pub shortly after the attack and was arrested a short time later at a Tesco store. The wound on Mr Coooper’s face was treated with stitches.
Dodd (pictured) was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work.
Dodd was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £800 compensation to his victim.
His lawyer Mark Friend said: “As far as the crime itself is concerned, it may be the case that the less said the better.”
But the events since then remain firmly etched in Miss Dodd’s mind. She is deeply sorry and deeply apologizes to the complainant for his actions that day.
‘It can be said that some of the banter between them was quite rude, but the defendant does not seek to excuse or explain her actions. There was also an unfortunate coalition of factors that impacted the defendant on that occasion.
‘There were issues regarding the loss of his father and self-esteem and self-esteem issues. The loss of his good character is a burden she bears very severely.
“Indeed, this court can be absolutely confident that Ms. Dodd will not walk through the doors of the courthouse or any courtroom in the future.”