A teenager has described how there was "blood everywhere" after she was attacked with a broken glass while trying to protect her grandmother from her partner. The victim was just 15 when Paul Charlton, who she viewed as a grandfather figure, went for her during a drunken row.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that on August 18, 2021, the victim was at her dad's home for the weekend and they ended up going to a club with her grandmother and Charlton. The teenager was bought some alcoholic drinks and they ended up going back to her grandmother's home.
Attack in the kitchen
Charlton argued with his partner and ended up locked outside, banging on the door trying to get back in. The victim, who said she had never seen him angry like that, tried to let him in but the door was stuck. She tried telling him that but he turned his aggression on her and screamed at her. After a while, the 46-year-old got back inside the flat.
The victim then walked into the kitchen and saw her grandmother on her back on the floor with Charlton straddling her, shouting and swearing. The teenager believed he was assaulting her gran but he was not charged with that.
Ian Cook, prosecuting, said: "(The victim) screamed at him, asking what he was doing. At this point, the defendant got off the floor, grabbed a wine glass which was on the bench, held the stem of the glass and smashed the top of the glass on the bench and came at her with the glass in his hand."
She said the defendant went for her neck with the glass. She put her arms up and that resulted in him stabbing her forearm with the broken glass. He kept thrusting the glass towards her head and body. The wound on her forearm was bleeding heavily. The teenager tried to grab the glass from Charlton but was unable to do so and while pushing him away she received a cut finger from it. In fear, she punched Charlton in the face as hard as she could and knocked him to the floor.
Victim's statement
The court heard the victim was persuaded to hide the truth of how she was injured at hospital. She needed five stitches to the wound to her arm. She didn't report the attack for around two years.
In a victim impact statement, she said: "When Paul attacked me I was in complete shock. I never expected something like this to happen to me and certainly not by someone in my family who was supposed to care for me."
"The incident started because I tried to stand up for my nana when he was being aggressive. I was simply trying to protect her and get him off my nana. I didn't deserve the horror he put me through."
"There was blood everywhere then I realised it was from the wound on my arm Paul caused by attacking me with a broken glass. I had been attacked by someone I looked at as a granda figure, with a weapon."
"Thankfully I managed to move my arm up to protect my face because he seemed to be coming straight for my face. It's unbearable to think what could have happened if my reactions weren't so quick."
She added that she was left in pain and with a jagged two inch scar on her arm, which made her self-conscious and serves as a permanent reminder of what happened and which she tried to hide.
The victim also said: "I can't forgive Paul for what he did to me, deliberately hurting a child with a weapon. I genuinely believe he was going for my neck with that broken glass and if I had no put my hand up quickly enough I may not be here now to tell my story."
Sentence
Charlton, of Rothbury Terrace, Heaton, Newcastle, admitted unlawful wounding and was sentenced to 27 months suspended for two years.
Jason Smith, defending, said the attack was not reported until 2023 and said Charlton is in poor health and acted out of character.
