An angry ex-girlfriend broke the mother of the bride’s arm on the week of the wedding.
Stacey Lane and Shelly Kerr came to blows just days before Ms Kerr was set to marry Lane’s former partner, Michael Lyon, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Ms Kerr hit Lane first with a vape e-cigarette, before mum-of-two Lane retaliated by getting a metal crutch from her car boot and shouting: “Happy f***ing wedding week.”
She struck Ms Kerr over the back with the crutch, before breaking Paula Kerr’s arm when she tried to protect her daughter.
The court heard that Lane, aged 30, had two children with Mr Lyon, one boy and one girl.
David Birrell, a prosecutor, said that Lyon began seeing Shelly Kerryr later and was set to wed in October 2019.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The altercation took place at around 7.30pm on October 8 that year, after Shelly and Paula Kerr dropped off Lane’s children at her home in Frankby Road, Newton, West Kirby.
Mr Birrell said Shelly Kerr recalled Lane “shouting aggressively” before Lane approached her.
He said: “Because the defendant moved towards her, she raised her right hand in a blocking motion and the e-cigarette she was holding hit the defendant in the forehead.”
Both parties called the police and Paula Kerr went to Southport hospital, where an X-ray revealed her styloid bone – where the forearm meets the wrist – was broken, meaning her arm had to be put in plaster.
Photos showed bruises to Shelly Kerr’s back and dents and paintwork damage to her Audi, which cost £1,800 to repair.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Mr Birrell said: “The defendant sent abusive texts to Shelly Kerr just before 8pm… the messages included threats to ruin the wedding.”
Lane was originally charged with assaulting Paula Kerr causing her actual bodily harm, assaulting Shelly Kerr, causing criminal damage to the Audi, possessing an offensive weapon – the crutch – in public, and malicious communications.
However, she pleaded guilty ahead of Jamie Baxter, defending, said the prosecution now accepted Ms Kerr hit Lane first, who “retaliated”.
He said: “She began in self-defence, or in fear of violence, not amounting to a defence of course, accepted by her plea.”
Mr Baxter said Lane had “complete justification” for having the crutch because she suffered from the condition fibromyalgia.
He said: “Her actions were in retaliation, albeit unlawful and excessive retaliation, in the circumstances.”
The lawyer said Lane was a single mum who works 30 hours a week and jailing her would have a “significant harmful impact” on her two children.
Mr Baxter said Lane was now on “good speaking terms” with Mr Lyon, they were managing child contact “without the need of the family court” and there was no longer any desire for Lane and Ms Kerr to speak to each other.
Mr Birrell said she had one previous conviction for criminal damage, which was “perhaps relevant”, as it related to a car belonging to Mr Lyon.
Judge Anil Murray said that Lane would be considered to have no relevant prior convictions.
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He said she pleaded guilty to affray on the basis she reacted or retaliated to being hit first, adding: “This was a family dispute and you were reacting and indeed overreacted by hitting the complainants with a crutch.”
The judge said there was “serious harm” caused to Paula Kerr because her arm was broken and “the crutch was clearly used as a weapon”, but Lane acted “in retaliation and also fear”.
Lane was sentenced for nine months with a suspended 18-month sentence and 75 hours of unpaid labor.
To protect Shelly Kerr & Paula Kerr, the judge granted Lane a three-year restraining orders.