A mother of two yelled “happy damn wedding week” to her ex-partner’s fiancé before breaking the mother’s arm.
Stacey Lane clapped Shelly Kerr on the back with a crutch before hitting Paula Kerr’s arm as she tried to defend her daughter, heard the Liverpool Crown Court.
Lane, 30, had two children – a boy and a girl – with Michael Lyon before their relationship broke up, and he was due to marry Shelly Kerr in October 2019.
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But on October 8, just days before the wedding, Lane and Shelly Kerr clashed, reports ECHO.
The court heard that Ms. Kerr Lane first met with a vape e-cigarette, which the bride said was in “a lockdown movement”.
Lane retaliated by pulling a metal crutch out of her trunk, shouting “happy damn wedding week,” and slapping Shelly and Paula Kerr.
Stacey Lane, 30, of Frankby Road, Newton, West Kirby, admitted quarreling
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The altercation took place around 7:30 p.m. after Shelly and Paula Kerr dropped Lane’s children at their home on Frankby Road, Newton, West Kirby.
Attorney David Birrell said Shelly Kerr recalled Lane “yelling aggressively” before Lane approached her.
He said, “As the defendant came up to her, she raised her right hand to block it and the e-cigarette she was holding hit the defendant on the forehead.”
Mr Birrell said Lane went to her car and said something like “check this out” and “happy wedding week”.
He said Lane took “a metal hospital crutch” out of her car and then started “swinging” it at Shelly Kerr.
Mr. Birrell said, “Shelly Kerr backed away in fear. The defendant hit her – the blow was with the crutch on the back.
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“The defendant pulled the crutch back to hit her again, held it with both hands and aimed at her head.”
The court heard Paula Kerr intervene at this point and yelled at Shelly Kerr to get back into her Audi.
Mr. Birrell said: “When the defendant struck a second blow with the crutch, Paula Kerr raised her arm to protect her daughter from the blow.
“The blow hit her arm and Paula Kerr felt immediate pain.
“She screamed, ‘You broke my arm!’ and it turned out later that she was right. “
Mr. Birrell said Shelly and Paula Kerr got back in their car, but as they drove away Lane hit the front of the Audi with the crutch.
Lane yelled “happy damn wedding week” before pulling the crutch out of her car
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Both parties called the police and Paula Kerr went to Southport Hospital, where an x-ray showed that her styloid bone – where the forearm meets the wrist – was broken, which meant her arm had to be put in a band-aid.
Photos showed bruises on Shelly Kerr’s back as well as dents and paint damage on her Audi, which cost £ 1,800 to repair.
Mr. Birrell said, “The defendant sent abusive texts to Shelly Kerr just before 8 p.m. … the messages contained threats to ruin the wedding.”
Lane was originally charged with attacking Paula Kerr, actually injuring her, attacking Shelly Kerr, causing criminal damage to the Audi, possessing an offensive weapon – the crutch – in public, and conducting malicious communications.
However, she pleaded guilty to a brawl charge based on a prosecutor-accepted plea, which dropped the other allegations.
Mr Birrell said she had a previous property damage conviction that was “perhaps relevant” as it related to a Mr Lyon’s car.
Jamie Baxter, who defended, said prosecutors have now accepted that Ms. Kerr hit the lane first, which “repaid”.
He said: “She started in self-defense or out of fear of violence, which of course was not a defense that was accepted by her plea.”
Mr Baxter said Lane had “complete justification” for having the crutch because she had fibromyalgia.
He said, “Your actions have been retaliation, albeit illegal and excessive retaliation in the circumstances.”
The attorney said Lane is a single mother who works 30 hours a week and detention would have “significantly harmful effects” on her two children.
Mr Baxter said Lane had “good conversations” with Mr Lyon now, that they were managing contact with children “without the need for the family court” and that Lane and Mrs Kerr were no longer wishing to speak to each other.
Judge Anil Murray said he would treat Lane as if he had no relevant criminal record.
He said she pleaded guilty to beating herself on the basis of reacting or taking revenge on being hit first, adding, “This was a family quarrel and you reacted and actually overreacted by doing the.” Hit the complainant with a crutch. “
Liverpool Crown Court
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
The judge said Paula Kerr was “inflicted serious harm” because her arm was broken and “the crutch was clearly used as a weapon,” but Lane acted “out of retaliation and also out of fear.”
He said it happened two years ago, Lane has not been in trouble since, and expressed remorse in a pre-judgment report.
Judge Murray said, “You are appalled that you hurt the applicant.”
He added, “You are the main caregiver for two children and you work. You have some mental health issues, have little risk of relapsing and doing serious harm, and you have no prior poor supervision. “
The judge said, “I accept that you have severe personal degradation, that this would affect others, that you do not pose a risk to others and that you have a prospect of rehabilitation.”
He turned Lane over to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with 75 hours of unpaid work.
The judge issued a three-year restraining order to protect Shelly and Paula Kerr.
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