Injured woman tracks down attacker herself after British police fail to help

And it only took her a few hours

When police drew a blank in the hunt for the woman thug who nearly blinded her in a vicious nightclub attack, Jennifer Wilson did not let the matter rest. Instead, the 20-year-old turned detective herself, and used Facebook to trace the stranger who had rammed a glass into her face. She recognised an acquaintance who was in the yob's group before the unprovoked attack, and trawled through his list of 200 friends on the social networking website.

After several hours, Miss Wilson found a photograph of her attacker, hairdresser Ashleigh Holliman. She even tracked down Holliman's address and workplace through a mutual friend on Facebook and gave them to Hertfordshire Police, who were then able to arrest her. Holliman, 22, of Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, admitted actual bodily harm at St Albans Crown Court and was sentenced to 120 hours' unpaid work. Recorder Nigel Peters, QC, also ordered her to pay Miss Wilson £2,400 compensation for the attack at Walkabout Bar in Watford in March this year.

David Chrimes, prosecuting, told the court: 'Miss Wilson was dancing on the stage when the defendant and a friend of hers were staring in a hostile way towards the victim. 'Miss Wilson leans forward to ask what they are talking about and then she is grabbed by the defendant and struck with the glass that connected below the left eye.'

Barry Forward, defending, said Holliman had since stopped drinking and was full of remorse.

Miss Wilson, who has been left with an inch-long scar, said yesterday: 'I honestly thought I was going to lose my eye. She came up to me and just slammed the glass into my face with all her might. Blood was squirting out of the hole on my face. 'My hair and face were covered and my cream top turned red.'

She added: 'I spent hours searching Facebook as I knew I'd seen her friend before. When I finally found her I couldn't believe it. I saw her smiling in the pictures like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth and felt sick inside.' Police had told her the CCTV from the club was blurry and staff had cleared away evidence from the dance floor, hindering inquiries. 'I'm just a receptionist in a tanning salon but I ended up doing the detective work for them,' said Miss Wilson. 'Maybe I'm in the wrong job.'

Original report here



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