News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

A teenager left with a gaping head wound after being hunted down an attacked by a former Countdown champion has spoken for the first time about the horror of her ordeal.

Paige Rolland says she is now nervous and fearful and finds it difficult to meet new people after crazed writer Richard Brittain smashed a wine bottle over her head because she gave his book a bad review online.

Speaking after Brittain pleaded guilty to the attack at Glasgow Sheriff Court Paige, now a student midwife, told the Daily Record: “Had he hit me any harder, I could have died.

Read more:

(Image: Daily Record)

“My first thought when I realised I had been assaulted was for my mum and how awful it would be for her to get a phone call saying I had died.”

Brittain, 28, arrived at the Asda store where she worked, in Glenrothes, Scotland, and smashed a wine bottle over her head from behind - knocking her out.

Read more:

Only a month before, Brittain - crowned a Countdown champion in 2006 - stalked a university classmate, Ella Durant, who moved from London to Glasgow.

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now

The court heard she is alleged to have used her Twitter and Instagram accounts to find where she worked and turned up on two occasions to speak to her.

Brittain, whose address was given as Palgrave, Bedford, pleaded guilty to engaging in a course of conduct which caused Miss Durant fear or alarm by repeatedly pursuing her, approaching her, following her and publishing a story about stalking her in September 2014.

He also admitted assaulting Paige with a bottle to her severe injury on October 3, 2014 at Asda, Fullerton Road, Glenrothes.

The court heard Brittain uploaded part of a published book of his called The World Rose onto a website called Wattpad, where people can read and critique literature written by others.

However, he got upset when left negative comments about it.

In October last year, Brittain went to the Asda store Paige worked in after she began her shift.

She was stacking shelves in the cereal aisle and bent down to get something on the bottom shelf when without warning, Brittain approached her from behind and smashed a wine bottle into her head.

She said: “When I stood up I thought something hit me on the head.

“At first, I thought that maybe I’d hit my head off the shelf and, as everything started to spin and go black, I wondered how I could be so stupid as to hit my head so hard.

“My vision was black and my hearing was muffled.

“I did not pass out and turned and put my hands out to lower myself to the floor gently, which is something my mother has always taught me to do should I think I’m going to pass out.

“I heard the tinkle of a bottle on the floor and I thought that something had fallen on me. Blood was covering my hands and dripping down my arms.

“Without the pressure on my head, the blood spread down my hair and the back of my neck.

“Before I went into shock for the first time, a colleague pressed towels to my head and someone covered me with a heavy jacket to try and stop it from happening.

“I heard one customer say to my colleague that someone had come from behind me, hit me with a wine bottle and walked away.”

Read more:

She added: "I couldn’t believe it. The attack has left me nervous and fearful. I find it difficult to meet new people and am nervous in big crowds.

“I have bad anxiety and I feel nervous if I see anyone who reminds me of him.

“I’ve just started university and I’m nervous putting my opinions across.

“I find it weird and creepy he tracked me down and travelled to Scotland to assault me.

“But then his book was about a woman he was stalking for years. The fact that he assaulted me and didn’t say a word is horrifying.

“He actually got a friend to message me thanking me for helping him to ‘see the light’, whatever that means.”

Read more:

Paige was taken to hospital suffering from a cut to her head and treated for a head injury.

Using cell masts Brittain's phone was traced as having been in Glenrothes, North Berwick and London the following day.

He was traced by the police and his house was searched which revealed travel documents and evidence he had been in Glasgow on an earlier date.

Sheriff Martin Jones QC deferred sentence until a later date for a number of reports and a motion for bail was refused.