A DRUNKEN woman has left another young woman facially scarred for life after hitting her with a broken wine glass.

Keisha Harty twice attacked her victim during a New Year’s Eve party at a neighbour’s home in Birkenhead after an argument developed.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that “suddenly and without warning Harty flipped the dining table and she stood up and attacked Nicola Hilton by grabbing her hair.”

The householder tried to pull her off the victim but Harty continued the attack, pulling clumps of hair from Ms Hilton’s head, said Neil Bisayra, prosecuting.

After the two women were separated the victim went and stood in the kitchen but Harty “then picked up a broken wine glass that had been smashed on the floor from when the table was flipped over.  

“Harty suddenly lunged forward towards Ms Hilton and whilst holding the broken wine glass in her hand she attacked Ms Hilton for a second time.”

Harty, who lived in the same road, Tudor Road, Birkenhead, fled and the emergency services were called. They found the victim with a deep laceration to the right side of her face and she was deeply distressed.

At hospital it was found she had multiple deep lacerations to the right side of her face and needed 21 stitches. The injuries included a four centimetre semi circular wound which damaged a saliva gland and has left her permanently scarred.

She had to undergo skin grafts and has been left traumatised and afraid to go out alone for fear of attack. She also fears people are looking at her scar, said Mr Bisayra.

Harty later denied responsibility for the attack and twice failed to attend for her trial after fleeing back to her homeland, the Republic of Ireland. She was jailed in Ireland for shoplifting and brought back to the UK under a European Arrest Warrant.

Jailing the 26-year-old for a total of five and half years Judge Gary Woodall said, “You lunged at Nicola Hilton’s face causing her on any view very serious injury.”

Harty, of Highfield Road, BIrkenhead, pleaded guilty to wounding Nicola Hilton with intent on January 1, 2020 and failing to attend court.

The judge said that she has committed six previous offences, none for violence, but they showed a pattern of offending in drink and she had been addicted to drugs.

She was assessed by the probation service as posing a high risk of serious harm but he said she was satisfied she had acted out of character. She had been involved in two abusive relationships which had left her vulnerable and fragile, said Judge Woodhall.

Tom Challinor, defending, said that Harty now accepted the prosecution case. She had been in an abusive relationship in Ireland and then came to the UK where her father lives but got involved in another similar relationship.

She was addicted to crack cocaine and heroin but while on remand has now got off drugs and intends to live with her father after her release.

The judge made an indefinite restraining order for Harty not to contact the victim.