The victim suffered four slash wounds to her back of her neck
An aggressive and jealous woman repeatedly lashed out at another woman with a craft knife – causing nine slash wounds to the terrified victim – during a vicious and frenzied attack in the street. Heavy-drinking drug user Danielle Davies also punched the woman and pulled her hair before the panicking victim managed, in desperation, to get a bus driver to stop for her so that she could hastily flee on board the bus.
The shocked victim was left scarred for life and fearing what might happen during any future confrontations between them, Hull Crown Court heard. Davies, 30, of Taunton Road, off Boothferry Road, west Hull, admitted wounding the woman with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and having a craft knife on December 11, 2023.
Stephen Robinson, prosecuting, said that the other woman had been communicating with a man for one or two months over Facebook but he seemed to be in some sort of relationship with Davies. The woman had not met him in person before but she agreed to go to his home – She arrived at 1.30am.
Davies entered the property and she was not happy that the woman was there. The woman “sensed the atmosphere” and told the man that she was going home.
He said that he would also go and this annoyed Davies, who became aggressive. The woman got between them and asked Davies to leave him alone. The man and the woman walked along the road and Davies followed them.
“She was very angry,” said Mr Robinson. Davies tried to grab hold of the woman and threw several punches but the woman dodged them. “The defendant tried to pull her hair,” said Mr Robinson.
The woman threw several punches herself and tried to walk away again. “The defendant did get hold of her hair and spun her around,” said Mr Robinson. “The two of them fell into a bush.”
When the woman stood up, her left arm was bleeding. She punched Davies in the face and started to walk away quickly. She was very shaken and scared.
Do you feel safe where you live? You can have your say by completing the poll below or by clicking here.
“She stood in the middle of Boothferry Road and tried to flag down passing cars,” said Mr Robinson. “The defendant was following her and acting in an aggressive fashion.
“The defendant continued to follow her and was holding a craft knife.” Davies slashed her with the knife on the back of her head and neck and she was agitated.
There were four slash wounds to her back of her neck, one of them deeper than the others, as well as three to her arm, one to her left wrist and one on her back and shoulder. The woman felt extremely scared by now and she ran on to Anlaby Park Road North.
“She managed to attract the attention of a passing bus driver, who stopped and allowed her on the bus,” said Mr Robinson. “The defendant tried to get on the bus on a couple of occasions.”
The man who had been with them prevented her from doing this. “The defendant was ushered away,” said Mr Robinson. It was 6.40am and Davies smelled strongly of alcohol and said: “He’s dumped me for her.” Police attended and Davies tried to hide behind a bush but she stopped when asked.
She admitted that she had a weapon and handed over a pink craft knife. She admitted that she had taken a line of drugs. The woman was taken to hospital, where the wounds were washed and cleaned, and she went to a plastic surgery trauma clinic.
She later said: “Danielle has caused me serious injuries that will scar me for life. Danielle has caused me and my family lots of upset. I am worried about what Danielle could do in the future.”
Davies had convictions for 16 previous offences, including assault in June 2016. She was given a community order on March 31 this year for 10 shop theft offences.
David Godfrey, mitigating, said that Davies had two children aged five and two and she was now pregnant and due to give birth in December. “She knows that her behaviour was disgraceful,” said Mr Godfrey. “She was in a pressure cooker environment and the drugs didn’t help.
“It all came out on that day. It was a one-off. There is violence on her record but nothing of this sort. There is no excuse for it. It’s horrible injuries. She has caused the victim some real concern.
“She has expressed genuine regrets about that and remorse. She is off drugs. Things have really settled down for her. She is thinking about university.”
Judge John Thackray KC told Davies: “You began by throwing punches at your victim. You pulled her hair and you lashed out repeatedly with a craft knife, on my estimation approximately nine times.
“The injuries are quite shocking to see. It’s inevitable that your victim will have permanent scarring. This incident went on for quite some time and involved multiple blows with a craft knife.
“This was a prolonged and persistent assault. Only appropriate punishment can be achieved by way of an immediate custodial sentence.”
Davies, who had been on bail, was jailed for two years and three months.