Hartlepool alcoholic described as a 'Jekyll and Hyde' jailed at Teesside Crown Court for smashing glass over friend's head

Mary Douglas, 34, attacked her friend, a man in his 60s, after they shared a bottle of wine together in his house.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Douglas would go round to the man’s house uninvited daily and would often ignore his requests to leave.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said: “He describes her as a Jekyll and Hyde character, pleasant one minute and nasty the next.”

On the day the victim was attacked, he had unsuccessfully tried to hide a bottle of wine from Douglas but she found it.

After drinking some she “flipped” said Ms Atkinson. Douglas began shouting and picked up the glass and hit the man over the back of the head.

“He screamed out in pain,” said Ms Atkinson. “There was bleeding from the wound.”

An ambulance attended and the victim was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees where he needed five staples.

Douglas was arrested and bailed with conditions not to contact the victim. But she ignored these and continued to go round to his house.

The court heard the victim could not relax in his own home and his health suffered because of her behaviour which was often abusive.

Douglas admitted wounding and harassment.

Robert Mochrie, mitigating, said she has suffered with alcoholism since she was 15 and lived a chaotic lifestyle.

He said she was now sober and hoped to work with various agencies to address her drinking.

Recorder Ian Mullarkey sentenced Douglas, of Hartley Close, Hartlepool, to 14 months in prison.