Woman who smashed wine glass in Miss England finalist’s face found guilty

A businesswoman is facing jail after being convicted of smashing a wine glass into the face of a Miss England finalist in a row in a pub.

China Gold attacked Olivia Cooke by thrusting the glass into the beauty queen's face causing it to shatter, a court heard.

The 27-year-old then pushed it into her face for a second time, leaving Ms Cooke with a deep, 5cm cut to her forehead and glass embedded in a smaller wound above her left eye.

Gold denied unlawful wounding, claiming she acted in self-defence after Miss Cooke, who is also a professional golfer, had hurled a glass at the back of her head.

Gold told a jury at Maidstone Crown Court, Kent, she 'instinctively reacted' by spinning around and throwing her own glass at the 21-year-old.


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But Gold, who runs a vehicle recovery firm and a car body repair shop, was found guilty following less than an hour's deliberation.

Miss Cooke needed a total of five stitches to her cuts but went on to compete in last year's Miss England final. However, she missed out on top spot and a place at Miss World.

The court was told she awaits plastic surgery for the resulting scarring on her face, and suffers from severe anxiety and self-esteem issues.

Miss Cooke was in court throughout the trial and began to cry when the verdict was returned.

Sentencing was adjourned by Judge Philip Statman for a probation report, but he said the offence 'crossed the custody threshhold by a mile'.

He added Gold was facing the possibility of a jail term starting at three years before any aggravating or mitigating factors had been considered.

Adjourning sentencing until Monday, April 27 and releasing a visibly upset Gold on bail, the judge said immediate custody was 'uppermost in his mind'.

"This is a very serious matter and clearly crosses the custody threshhold by a mile," added Judge Statman.

"I need to know, bearing in mind she was of previous and positive character, working and up until this point a decent member of the community, what is to be done.

"Uppermost in my mind must be an immediate custodial sentence. The defendant must understand that."

At the start of Gold's trial earlier this week, the court was told Gold twice struck Miss Cooke with the glass – one blow to break it and the second to cause injury.

Violence flared after Miss Cooke heard Gold make 'crude comments' about her sex life during a night out at The Farmhouse pub in West Malling, Kent, on October 19, 2018.

Giving evidence, Miss Cooke said she tried to 'laugh it off' but told Gold, who she had only met once before, that she did not 'appreciate' what she had said.

But Miss Cooke said the verbal abuse continued before she was twice grabbed around the throat by Gold and hit with the glass.

Breaking down in tears, she recalled: "She basically came at me verbally with a few insults that I didn't appreciate.

"I'm not confrontational and she was calling me a slag and a slut, and I'm definitely not."

Miss Cooke said she tried to stick up for herself but then went outside into the pub courtyard with another friend when it 'got too much' between herself and Gold.

However, she added that Gold followed them, accusing Miss Cooke of trying to start a fight by 'calling her out'.

"I just said I wasn't starting an argument and that's why I had walked outside when, out of nowhere, she grabbed me by the throat," continued Miss Cooke.

"It wasn't a push, it was a grab. She had her wine glass in her other hand. I got her off my neck and pushed her off.

"She done it for a second time and the glass was still in her hand. I have obviously got my back up and got in a verbal argument, trying to stick up for myself.

"Out of nowhere she chucked her drink on me and I don't know what happened but instantly she glassed me twice towards the head.

"It was one to break the glass and the second to cause injury and obviously it has."

Miss Cooke said she was not immediately aware she had been physically hurt and ran after her, only to be stopped by another friend who noticed she was bleeding heavily.

The jury was told Miss Cooke, from Barming, Kent, was herself later charged with assaulting Gold in relation to the allegation she had thrown her own glass.

But she maintained during cross-examination by Gold's barrister Robin Griffiths that she did not have a glass in her hand during the row.

The case is yet to be dealt with by magistrates but Judge Statman said he expected those legal proceedings now to be reconsidered in light of Gold's guilty verdict.

The court also heard that Julie Cooke, Olivia's mother, has pleaded guilty to assaulting Gold, causing her actual bodily harm.

Mrs Cooke, having heard her daughter was injured, turned up at the pub and punched Gold in the face. She is yet to be sentenced.

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