Nurse Joanne Rand, 47, died after being splashed head-to-toe with acid as she sat on a bench and a fight broke out nearby, a court has heard

A mother unwittingly caught up in a dispute between two men died after being splashed head-to-toe with acid as she sat on a bench, a court has heard.

Joanne Rand, 47, had been to visit her daughter Charlotte's grave and was about to have a cigarette when she was hit with the high-strength sulphuric acid last June.

The caregiver screamed in pain and ran to a nearby KFC to splash water over herself after the the incident in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, Reading Crown Court heard on Wednesday.

She was treated and briefly released from hospital after suffering up to 5 per cent burns on her body.

Ms Rand died on June 14, 11 days after the incident, from multi-organ failure after being struck down with an infection due to the acid burns, the court heard.

Defendant Xeneral Webster, 19, was allegedly carrying the open bottle of sulphuric acid in a satchel to intimidate a rival, when it was knocked out of his hands and spilled during the fight.

The teen was charged with murder for Ms Rand's death, a charge which he denies.

Prosecutor Alison Hunter QC told the jury that the defendant had been in a dispute in Frogmoor with another male, Saqib Hussain, from whom he was trying to wrest a bicycle.

Ms Rand died on June 14, 11 days after the incident, from multi-organ failure after being struck down with an infection due to the acid burns, Reading Crown Court heard. She had just been to visit her daughter Charlotte's (right) grave, who died aged 19 in 2011

Ms Hunter said CCTV footage showed Webster reaching into his satchel for a bottle of acid.

She said: 'What he produced next is an open-topped bottle of acid and he makes to throw it towards Mr Hussain. And he said to Mr Hussain, ''This is acid''.

'At this moment Mr Hussain, panicking, knocks the acid out of Mr Webster's hand.'

The bottle rolled and hit Ms Rand, who was sitting a few metres away, Ms Hunter said.

She 'instantly noticed that her hair was wet and that her face had begun to burn', the prosecutor added.

Webster was captured on footage putting on a balaclava before riding the bike back to the bench where Ms Rand had been sitting, to pick up the acid bottle, the court heard.

A short time later Webster was then seen cycling back up the road away from the area with the bottle of acid held in his right hand, without wearing any gloves.

He later discarded the bottle and the bike before getting the train home to London, the jury was told.

Ms Hunter said: 'That Joanne Rand was not Mr Webster's intended victim on June 3, 2017 makes no difference in law to his culpability for her death, because it arises in these circumstances where he was intending to unlawfully kill or at least cause GBH to another.'

Police were searching for this bottle which they believed was used in the attack

She said Webster knew the consequences of having acid in a public place, having been the victim of an acid attack himself.

The defendant admitted being involved in an altercation, saying it occurred because he had been sold spice instead of cannabis, the court heard.

But he denied possessing the bottle of acid, they jury was told.

Webster, of Banstead Court, Westway, west London, denies six charges dated between April and June last year.

He faces a murder charge and an alternative count of manslaughter, possession of a bottle of acid, possession of a bottle of ammonia, attempted GBH with intent and robbery of a bicycle.

The trial is expected to last three weeks.

The family of Ms Rand previously released a tribute to her and revealed that she had tragically lost her daughter Charlotte in 2011.

They wrote: 'Jo will be fondly remembered as a fun-loving, bubbly and caring person.

'She meant so much to so many and her tragic and sudden death has left everyone who knew her shocked and deeply saddened.

'Jo was born in County Durham and grew up in High Wycombe.

'She was the youngest sibling of five girls.

'Growing up, Jo was very mischievous. As the baby of the family, Jo was spoilt by her sisters and was always the centre of their attention.'

Ms Rand worked at the Sir Aubrey Ward care home in Marlow and was 'hard-working and passionate about her job'.