A DRUNKEN woman who lashed out with a wine glass, striking another nightclub-goer six times in the side of the face, has been jailed for five years.

Sarah Ann Chambers, who has previously attacked another woman in licensed premises, claimed she did not mean to cause serious harm in the latest incident, in Players Bar, Walkergate, Durham, on June 22, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that if followed some earlier, “shoving, glances and staring,” between Chambers and a small group of women.

But she was said to have triggered the flashpoint by approaching them, making a comment, before she was pushed away.

She reacted by thrusting her glass into the side of the victim’s face, following quickly with another five blows, causing cuts from her forehead almost to the ear.

The court heard the victim, who believes she was lucky not to have lost her sight in one eye, now avoids going on nights out, in fear of suffering a panic attack.

She remains scarred 16-months on and is still afflicted by a twitch to one eye caused by muscle damaged suffered in the attack

Chambers, 27, of Abbeyvale Drive, Newcastle, admitted unlawful wounding, but denied the more series charge of wounding with intent.

The court was told she, herself, was the subject of serious violence, at the hands of an abusive ex-partner, several year ago, leaving her suffering significant psychological damage.

Jamie Adams, for Chambers, said that was why she chose to come to Durham with a more recent partner for a night out, to avoid crossing paths with her “ex”, in bars and clubs in Newcastle.

As part of her defence to the more serious charge of intent to cause serious harm, a psychologist gave evidence to say the after effect of the abuse she suffered left her in a hypervigilant condition, in a state of extreme alertness of those around her.

This was said to have been heightened by the large amount of alcohol she had consumed that day.

In such a state she may have reacted as she did to being pushed away by the other women.

But the jury rejected her account and returned a unanimous guilty verdict.

Mr Adams said his client is six-months pregnant and now faces the prospect of giving birth in a prison maternity unit in Yorkshire.

Jailing her, Judge Ray Singh told Chambers it was her approach and comment to the other group that brought about the confrontation.

“They pushed you and it may well be that provoked you to behave the way you did, but that was not self-defence, you never argued it was, but to strike someone on six occasions with a glass in your hand only ever means one thing, and that was to cause really serious harm.”