Halesowen woman 'speared' in heart during domestic dispute, court told
A domestic dispute ended in near tragedy when a woman was speared by a piece of glass, a judge was told.
The shard tore through her chest into the muscle of her heart after she was pushed by a boyfriend into a large cabinet which smashed, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard. She was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery and made a good recovery.
Micah Taylor and the victim had a volatile relationship that had already resulted in each of them appearing in court for other offences, it was said.
The latest argument erupted at her home in Halesowen where the 28-year-old defendant was living on August 30. At least one child was at the address when she was sent crashing into the corner cabinet.
The defendant went to her assistance and removed a large piece of glass from the wound as soon as he realised the seriousness of the situation. He made no attempt to flee and stayed with her until police and paramedics arrived, the court was told.
Mr Neil Ahuja, prosecuting, declared: "He had not intended to cause serious harm but it happened in her home in the presence of a very young child."
Taylor had previously landed in court after assaulting the woman, setting fire to her clothes with a blow torch and threatening to burn her face when the couple clashed in June 2013. She smashed windows in his car on a separate occasion, it was said.
Miss Jabeen Akhtar, defending, observed: "They seem to bring out the worst in each other but when he pushed her he was not thinking where she was likely to land.
"It happened in the heat of the moment. As soon as he realised she was injured he immediately went to help and pulled out a large piece of glass from her chest. There is good in him whatever happened during this relationship.
"He is extremely remorseful for the injuries she suffered. This was not something he foresaw or deliberately intended."
Taylor, who is no longer living at the Halesowen address, was convicted of wounding the woman after a trial. He was jailed for two years by Judge Michael Challinor who told him:
"In my view it was a deliberate act when you pushed her forcefully into the display cabinet. It was very dangerous.
"A shard entered her chest and heart muscle. It was a life threatening injury and she had to undergo surgery to the heart.
"This was the conclusion of your oppressive and controlling behaviour and took place in her home where children were living and you were little more than a lodger at the time."
