Drunk businesswoman, 39, who glassed a pub drinker after he wrongly guessed she was 43 is spared jail after female judge says ‘one person’s banter may be insulting to others’

A drunken businesswoman who gave a pub drinker a drink after he misjudged her age has been spared jail after a female judge said ‘one person’s banter may be offensive to others’.

Mother-of-one Joanne Dodd, 39, flew into a rage and attacked Carl Cooper after he suggested she was 43 in the beer garden of the Unicorn pub in central Manchester on September 9 last year.

Mr Cooper fled to the toilet in an attempt to escape the heated situation, but when he emerged Dodd ran towards him and twice pushed her wine glass in his face.

He was left with a four-inch laceration to his face, narrowly missing his eye and an injury to his thumb.

When questioned, Dodd, who runs a company that organizes sleepovers for children, said she was suffering from “low self-esteem” at the time and said the banter was “unkind” towards her.

At Manchester Crown Court, Dodd, from Swinton in Salford, faced up to three years in prison under the sentencing guidelines after admitting causing grievous bodily harm.

However, she was spared jail and given a suspended sentence after Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said she was a ‘dedicated, hardworking woman’ who did not pose a risk to the public.

The judge told Dodd: ‘It is clear that you had been drinking heavily and there was undoubtedly some verbal exchange between you and the other group.

“You did not appreciate Mr Cooper’s comments and one person’s banter may be offensive to other people, but that did not justify what you did next.

‘You were seen approaching him, throwing your drink over him and then deliberately hitting him in the face with the glass you were carrying. Your behavior 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 undoubtedly traumatic for Mr Cooper and would have had an impact on him. Fortunately, he seems to have recovered well.

“I’ve seen the photo where the scar is barely visible, but for him it will be a constant reminder of your behavior that night. There was a very nasty injury, it is a serious injury, but fortunately there is no permanent deformity.’

The judge added: ‘There is no mitigation of the circumstances of the crime itself, but there is mitigation in relation to you.

‘You are a woman with no previous convictions. You have never been in court and you have a positive character.

‘It is generally 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 crime is so serious that it exceeds the threshold for custody. 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. I suspect that because you are so shocked by your own behavior, the court will never see you again.

‘Perhaps even more important: you are the mother of a young child. While the child would undoubtedly be cared for, an immediate prison sentence would have devastating consequences for your child. It would be disproportionate to the sentence to be imposed.”

The incident happened on September 9 last year when Dodd was out with her sister at The Unicorn pub in central Manchester.

Prosecutor Emma Clark said: ‘Carl Cooper and his friend Stuart Coleman were in the beer garden and the suspect was drunk.

‘Mr Cooper and his friends had a light-hearted chat 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 then became heated and she told Mr Cooper she would give him a glass.

“He went to the toilet to get away from the situation and the defendant and her sister went to the main bar.

‘But she saw Mr Cooper as he left the toilet and immediately ran towards him, hitting him twice in the face with a glass, causing a laceration to the face and narrowly missing his eye.

‘The suspect left the Unicorn cafe shortly after the attack and was arrested a short time later in a Tesco store. The injury to Mr Coooper’s face was treated with stitches.’

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

Her lawyer Mark Friend said: ‘In terms of the crime itself, it may be a case where the less said the better.

‘But the events since that time remain very firmly in Miss Dodd’s memory. She deeply regrets this and apologizes profusely to the complainant for her actions that day.

“You could argue that some of the banter between them was quite uncivil, but the defendant does not attempt to excuse or explain her actions. There was also an unfortunate combination of factors influencing the suspect on that occasion.

“There were issues related to the loss of her father and self-esteem and self-esteem issues. The loss of her good character as she is is a burden she carries very heavily.

“In reality, this court can be assured that Miss Dodd will not darken the doors of the court or any other court in the future.”