Woman whipped and kicked in face when joke about her horse led to sickening attack in Sunderland

Patrick Stokes and Chloe Blanckley
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


A woman was whipped and kicked in the face when a joke about her horse ended in a sickening attack.

The victim had taken part in a "horse drive" and ended up at the same beer garden table as then-couple Chloe Blanckley and Patrick Stokes. When she joked that her horse should have won a competition that day, Blanckley took offence, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

The two women argued and Stokes threw a drink over her and whipped her with her own horse whip. They all left the pub and when the victim confronted them outside, she was knocked to the ground by Stokes and held down by Blanckley while Stokes kicked her in the face, fracturing her eye socket and sinus area.

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Patrick Stokes, who admitted GBH
Patrick Stokes, who admitted GBH -Credit:Northumbria Police

The court heard it was on Sunday April 21 last year that the victim had joined a horse drive and visited several pubs in Sunderland. Around 6pm, she was sat at a beer table at Last Orders and Blanckley and Stokes were there too.

Joe Culley, prosecuting, said: "At one point the complainant made a joke that her horse should have won a competition during the day. That seems to have offending Miss Blanckley and led to a verbal argument between them.

"The complainant thought the defendant was intoxicated. Around this time Mr Stokes threw a drink over the complainant and struck her with her own horse whip and called her a little fat ****."

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They were separated and ended up outside the pub, where the matter escalated. Mr Culley said: "The complainant went to confront the defendants, which led to Stokes to begin to further assault her, knocking her to the ground.

Chloe Blanckley, who admitted GBH
Chloe Blanckley, who admitted GBH -Credit:Northumbria Police

"She was struck while on the floor, including kicks." CCTV of the attack was shown in court and Blanckley could be seen pulling her down and dragging her around on the floor and holding her down as Stokes kicked her three or four times, including to the face.

After the 30-second attack, the woman was left with fractures to her eye socket and the area of her sinuses and had bleeding behind her eye. She required surgery for her injuries.

In a victim impact statement, she said: "The incident has had a huge impact on me physically, mentally and financially and has terrorised my children. I'm afraid to leave the house and never go out alone.

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"I don't go to pubs because of the anxiety it's caused and the fear of bumping into them. I've installed cameras at home to make me feel safe.

"I've been suffering panic attacks and I've suffered depression since the incident and have had counselling.

"I'm still in a huge amount of physical pain now with my face. I'm suffering nerve pain which may never recover and have a metal plate in my face. I'm worried I may never look the same again.

"It's completely changed my life and my life will never be the same again. I now live completely differently."

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Blanckley, 25, of Norham Avenue South, South Shields, who has no previous convictions and Stokes, 30, of Jutland Road, Hartlepool, who has 15 previous convictions, including violence, both pleaded guilty to inflicting GBH. Blanckley got 18 months suspended for 21 months with 240 hours unpaid work while Stokes was jailed for two years and three months. Both were also given indefinite restraining orders.

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Laura Miller, for Blanckley, said: "It's conduct that is completely out of character." She added that she works in a field looking after people.

Ian Cook, for Stokes, said: "It's with some degree of pride he says he has been completely free of drugs for about a year now." He added that he would not have kicked the victim but for the fact Blanckley was holding her down.