Student glassed beauty queen in savage attack

Casey Cunningham received a suspended jail term for the unprovoked attack, which left blood pouring from victim Carissa Grice’s head.

Magistrates heard Ms Grice, who is a beautician and former pageant competitor, fears her injury could impact on her future work as a part-time model.

Cunningham, who JPs also ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to her victim, said she was so drunk she had no recollection of throwing the glass but apologised to Ms Grice the following morning via Facebook when friends told her what she had done.

The 19-year-old Manchester Metropolitan University student pleaded guilty to a charge of causing actual bodily harm and received a six month custodial sentence suspended for a year.

Tess Kenyon, prosecuting, told a hearing at Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court the defendant had been arguing with an ex-boyfriend outside the Queen’s pub in Tyldesley on Christmas Eve.

Moments later, once both had returned inside, Cunningham hurled the glass toward where her ex, Sam Cleworth, was sitting with Ms Grice.

“The victim felt something hit her on her forehead. She then heard ringing in her ears and then felt blood falling from her head but did not know what had happened,” Ms Kenyon told the court.

The bench was shown images of the wound sustained by Ms Grice and heard her Christmas had been ruined by the trip to hospital and her confidence has taken a nose-dive because of the “noticeable” scar.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Grice said she had done some modelling in the past and now is concerned if she would be able to do it again.

Lindsay Orr, defending, said Cunningham, who is a former Winstanley College student, was “extremely remorseful” and had apologised at the earliest opportunity.

The unsavoury incident had been completely out of character for the “model student” who had been drinking on an empty stomach having gone out straight from work.

Ms Orr speculated that “we can not rule out that somebody put something her drink”. She said: “She is not somebody who goes out regularly to socialise, a lot of her time is working or concentrating on her studies.

“She understands the impact of what has happened to the victim and is most apologetic.”

Probation officers told the court the defendant had a “moment of madness” when she “recklessly and angrily lashed out”.

The bench told Cunningham, of Dunmail Close, Astley, her behaviour was an “unprovoked attack” that could have had far more serious consequences.

She was ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,165 costs.