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| Innocent: Katie O'Connor |
Katie O'Connor, 30, of Cross Heath Grove, Beeston, Leeds says her shoe heel accidentally caught the top of the woman's head as she fought her off.
She was found not guilty of assaulting Amy Bishop, causing her actual bodily harm, at the Safari Hotel, Chessington World of Adventures, on November 7, last year.
“She kept trying to grab my hair and I pushed her off,” O'Connor told Wimbledon Magistrates Court. “I didn't hit her with the shoe, I think as she's going for me she's grazed her head.
“I've gone up to push her with the shoe in my hand and obviously the kitten heel has caught her in the head.”
Work colleagues of Ms Bishop, who works for Chessington World of Adventures, described blood pouring down her face from a cut to her head and twice passing out on the lobby floor.
Prosecutor Mr. Ijaz Malik said it was 1.20am when the complainant and her colleagues, who had just attended an awards evening at Epsom racecourse, entered the lift, followed by the defendant.
“Ms O'Connor entered the lift with her partner as the doors were closing and there is a verbal altercation with Ms Bishop.
“That escalated to pulling her hair and hitting her across the head with the shoe heel, causing bleeding.”
Ms Bishop did not attend the trial and colleague Nicola Crust, who was also in the lift, told the court: “She's not well today due to the stress that has been caused since this incident.
“Amy and I got squashed at the back of the lift and Amy said: 'Can you move forward, you're crushing us.'
“A female voice said: 'Who do you think you are? We called the lift first.'
“We raised our eyebrows and suddenly an arm came from behind the male and the female tried to grab Amy's hair.
“Amy screamed out of shock and I shouted at the woman to let go, but she carried on.
“She was then kicking Amy and trying to grab her a the same time.
“I got out of the lift and she screamed my name. She had her hand on her forehead with blood streaming down her face.
“The lady was standing there with her shoe in her hand, she was holding the sole part of the shoe.
“I got Amy out of the lift and she collapsed on the floor and lost consciousness.
“The whole time the woman was swearing and screaming at the top of her voice, using the word 'f***' a lot.
“Amy had a gash to her centre-parting, it was horseshoe-shaped and the other lady lunged at me and tried to kick me.
“I felt sick, I was shaking, it was complete shock. I can't believe it happened.”
Another work colleague, Gaye West, told the court the blonde woman in the lift told them: “We're paying guests.”
“From nowhere the woman launched at Amy. She grabbed her hair and tried to pull her.
“She had her shoe in her hand and hit Amy with her high-heel on top of the head.
“Amy took her hands away and she was covered in blood.”
Police were called and described O'Connor as: “Intoxicated, volatile and verbally aggressive.”
They also concluded Ms Bishop was “drunk.”
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