A mother of two who assaulted her ex-partner’s fiancée and broke the mother’s arm after threatening to ruin the wedding escaped prison.
Stacey Lane attacks Shelly and Paula Kerr with a metal crutch after handing over their children.
The attack was triggered by Ms. Kerr Lane accidentally beating her e-cigarette when the mother approached her, a court heard.
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Lane then got furious and shouted “happy damn wedding week” when she pulled a crutch out of her trunk and attacked Ms. Kerr.
The brutal attack came just before Ms. Kerr Lane’s former partner Michael Lyon was due to marry.
A court heard that Ms. Kerr Lane first met with a vape e-cigarette, which the bride said was in a “lockdown” movement.
She admitted quarreling
But Lane then crutched Ms. Kerr on the back before breaking Paula Kerr’s arm while trying to protect her daughter, the ECHO reports.
The court heard that Lane, 30, and Mr Lyon had two children, a boy and a girl, before their relationship broke up.
Prosecutor David Birrell said Mr Lyon later started seeing Shelly Kerr and they would get married in October 2019.
The altercation took place around 7:30 p.m. on October 8 of the same year after Shelly and Paula Kerr dropped Lane’s children at their home on Frankby Road, Newton, West Kirby.
Mr 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.
“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. ”
Lane yelled “happy damn wedding week” before pulling the crutch out of her car
Mr. Birrell said Shelly and Paula Kerr got back in their car, but as they drove off Lane began to hit the front of the Audi with the crutch.
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 prior to trial 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 “retaliated”.
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 “full justification” for 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.
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