A drunken mother-of-one has been jailed for two years after she threw a gallon of petrol at barbecue guests celebrating the arrival of a new baby, before threatening to set them alight.
Gemma Wood, 38, left revellers fearing for their lives as she threw the flammable liquid over them in Newton Heath, Manchester, last August.
She then lit a piece of paper and asked: ‘What the f*** are you going to do?’
Police arrived at the barbecue, which was organised to celebrate the birth of a baby, to find Wood pinning Carol Nicholson to the floor while holding a knife to her face – initially telling police that she was dead.
Ms Nicholson, who was cut across her face and wrists, says she has been left scarred and suffers panic attacks following the terrifying assault.
Wood was jailed for two years at Manchester Crown Court, after admitting to affray and assault causing actual bodily harm.
Gemma Wood threw petrol over guests at a Manchester barbecue before locking a friend in her home and cutting her face and wrists
The incident occurred on August 10 after a next-door neighbour invited Wood to the party where residents were celebrating the arrival of their new baby.
Denise Fitzpatrick prosecuting said: ‘About an hour into the party she became very drunk and soon returned home. Shortly after she returned to the garden party with a container with around a gallon of petrol inside.’
After throwing petrol over guests, she went back into her house next door before coming out again holding a piece of paper that was alight.
Miss Fitzpatrick added: ‘The men felt threatened and scared for their lives. They could smell the petrol she had poured onto them moments before and could see how close the lit piece of paper was.
‘The defendant then returned home again before coming out again with a kitchen knife in her hand with a five or six inch blade and the men felt scared for their lives.’
Miss Fitzpatrick told the court that no one had provoked Wood to cause the attack.
Carol Nicholson, who had known Wood for around five years, tried to calm her down inside the home.
Miss Fitzpatrick said: ‘The defendant walked straight up to the victim asking her who she was and placed the knife under the victim’s chin.
‘The blade didn’t touch her but she then put the blade to her left chin, pressing it down and scratching the knife down on her face and neck.
‘The victim then tried to leave but the defendant locked the door by turning the key inside the door.
‘The victim banged the windows to try and attract the attention of people outside, but the defendant then dragged her away from the door into the living room.
‘The defendant pinned her down on the floor and cut her right wrist five times before punching the victim in the face, landing on her nose and causing her glasses to come off.’
The court heard how Miss Nicholson was left with scars on her face and wrists
Miss Nicholson later told police: ‘This incident has triggered my depression and left me feeling vulnerable.
‘There are days when I do not get out of bed because I am depressed and the assault has left me with scars and bruises which have affected my mobility. My chest has been sore and I have found it hard to breathe.’
Wood was jailed for two years at Manchester Crown Court, after admitting to affray and assault causing actual bodily harm
‘I experience flashbacks of her holding the knife at me and her punching me in the face. I have had several panic attacks including one this month when I had to call an ambulance because I could not breathe.
‘I used to be friendly with people in the area but now we do not speak as much. My son died a week after this attack and those two events happening in such a short space of time has had a massive effect on me.’
Wood claimed to have no recollection of the incident.
In mitigation her lawyer, Thomas McKail, said: ‘She accepts her behaviour was utterly disgraceful and that she subjected people who were her friends at the time to this behaviour.
‘The combination of alcohol and her poor mental health led her to commit this offence. She has lived on the same street as her neighbours for six years and has not committed any other offences of this nature.’
Judge Mr Recorder Paul Reid QC told Wood: ‘The people you were talking to unsurprisingly felt threatened and scared for their lives as they had just had petrol thrown on them.
‘They thought it might help if Carol Nicholson tried to calm you down however, you attacked her in what must have been a terrifying ordeal. When police arrived they genuinely thought there was a risk to your victim’s life.
‘You offer no explanation for your outburst but it seems to have been triggered by the amount of alcohol you had drunk.’
Wood was also banned from contacting Miss Nicholson and her neighbours indefinitely under the terms of a restraining order.