Corby woman left victim blind in one eye after nightclub attack

A Corby woman left her victim permanently unable to see in one eye after punching her with such force she suffered a ruptured retina.

Lisa Jamison launched a violent attack just moments after the pair had argued in the toilets of nightclub Decades.

Her victim, a woman in her early 20s, now has nightmares and flashbacks, severe headaches and is unable to drive at night because of the severe sight loss she suffered.

Yesterday (Thursday) at Northampton Crown Court 38-year-old Jamison was spared from prison after a judge was told of her "impeccable" character and the grave consequences custody would have on her family.

The court heard Jamison and her victim were both separately at the Rockingham Road venue in the early hours of September 1, 2019 when the incident took place.

Jamison believed her victim had assaulted her daughter in the past and an argument broke out in the toilets, which saw the victim spat at in the face.

Security staff came in and the victim left the toilets, where she went to speak to a bouncer.

But, unprovoked, Jamison went up to her and punched her to the right side of her face, knocking her to the ground.

The court heard the victim was left with bruising and swelling to her eye and then diagnosed as having a ruptured retina.

She has almost completely lost sight in her right eye in damage a doctor described as irreversible.

The victim now has a visual acuity of 1/60 in her eye. Anything less than 3/60 is classed as blind.

Her Honour Judge Adrienne Lucking QC said the attack had left the victim suffering from nightmares and severe headaches and struggling to sleep.

She said she is always looking over her shoulder and now unable to drive at night.

She said: "She has constant flashbacks of the incident and often wakes up in fear and cold sweats."

Jamison, of Eastbourne Avenue in Corby, later pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm without intent.

Mitigating, Paul Webb said the mum-of-two's attack was out of character and that she had shown genuine remorse.

He said prison would have grave consequences for her family who could lose their home and asked for a suspended sentence to be considered.

He said: "She is genuinely someone who, if she could turn the clock back and behave differently...she would have behaved in a very different way."

The court heard Jamison had achieved 12 GCSEs despite a difficult upbringing and worked as a special needs assistant in a school for eight years.

She later became a healthcare assistant but now works as a warehouse worker having thrown away her chosen career because of the attack.

Judge Lucking QC told her: "You will not be able to work in care or education again."

The court heard sentencing guidelines meant the offence merited a starting point of two years in custody with a range of one year to three years. Any sentence of two years or lower can be suspended by a judge.

Jamison was told her sentence would have been 30 months in prison had she been convicted after a trial.

The sentence was reduced to 22 months because of her guilty plea, which Judge Lucking QC ruled could be suspended for two years.

She ruled that appropriate punishment could not only be achieved by imposing an immediate prison sentence.

She said: "You have a strong prospect of rehabilitation, which you have demonstrated in the 20 or so months since this offence."

Jamison will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and take part in rehabilitation activities and a mental health treatment programme.

And she was warned what would happen if she breached the requirements of the suspended sentence.

Judge Lucking QC told her: "If you do not comply with this order, I promise you will go to prison."