LANCASHIRE WOMAN'S DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SENTENCE INCREASED TO 12 YEARS
A woman who nearly caused the death of her partner using a hammer and a broken bottle has had her prison sentence increased.Gemma Hollings, from Darwen in Lancashire, also employed a curtain pole to assault Mark Kirkpatrick following a dispute over money.
He was discovered by a bystander in the street.
The Court of Appeal raised her original eight-year sentence to 12 years.
Lancashire Police described the case as among the worst of domestic violence they had encountered.
Both individuals had histories of drug problems, and they had planned to marry.
Hollings was convicted of wounding and assault related to the attack at her home, having been jailed in October.
Her assault tactics included repeatedly hitting Mark with a ball hammer on his arms, back, and head; striking him twice on the head with an empty ouzo bottle and stabbing him in the neck with the smashed bottle; hitting him with a curtain pole on multiple body parts; grabbing his testicles causing intense pain; and leaving him requiring treatment for a fractured cheekbone, eye socket, neck stab wound, bruises, cuts, and head wounds.
The attack was described as unprovoked and highly dangerous, with the victim suffering severe injuries and psychological harm.
The case was escalated to the Court of Appeal because the initial sentence was considered lenient given the potential for permanent disability or death.
Expert commentary included the Solicitor General stating Mr Kirkpatrick was "lucky to be alive" and Conservative MP Robert Buckland noting the attack was "a horrendous and potentially fatal case of domestic abuse," emphasizing that Hollings had a previous assault record and that her recent violence posed a significant threat.
