Judge refuses to jail woman plumber who glassed nightclubber who smiled at her 'because she had been sexually harassed during training'

Attacker walks free after judge says harassment was to blame for her behaviour

Judge describes her harassment as 'intolerable' and says she is 'impeccable character'

Victim was described as being in the 'wrong place at the wrong time'

Spared jail: Sheona Keith, 22, hurled her glass at a man she thought was 'eyeing her up'

A woman who glassed a male clubber that smiled at her - and then blamed the attack on the fact she was sexually harassed at work - was spared jail by a judge.

Sheona Keith threw her glass at a man in a nightclub who she thought was 'eyeing her up', in an unprovoked attack which resulted in him needing hospital treatment.



However, a judge refused to give her a custodial sentence after accepting that earlier sexual harassment she suffered at work was the reason behind her behaviour.

Instead, 22-year-old Keith - who admitted a charge of actual bodily harm against James Kirkham - was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay £400 compensation by Judge Philip Wassall when she was sentenced at Exeter Crown Court.

Describing Keith's case as 'unique', Judge Wassall said she had an 'impeccable character' and that the sexual harassment she had suffered was 'intolerable'.

At one point he said that she threw the glass 'without knowing' it was in her hand and described the victim as being 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'.



Passing sentence, Judge Wassall told Keith: 'You worked hard but your chosen line of work took you into a completely male-dominated environment and one where, I am afraid, you had to put up with sexist comments and harassment which there is no excuse for.

'There is nothing I can do to stop it. It is intolerable and should not happen, but it does happen.

Seat of justice: Keith appeared at Exeter Crown Court following the attack

Pressure: Keith said months of sexual harassment in her job as a plumber had prompted the attack

'When you were in the club you felt under similar pressure of unwanted sexual attention from males around you.

'You felt threatened by this man although he had not done anything wrong. You felt intimidated because of your experiences at work and he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Highly unusual and highly exceptional: Judge Philip Wassall ruled that Sheona Keith should not be jailed because of her previous good character

'This offence carries custody but I take into account your character and that you threw the glass without knowing it was in your hand. It is not an excuse but it indicates a lack of intent.

'I am going to do something highly unusual and highly exceptional, I am minded to say unique. This is a very, very unusual case in which there is so much mitigation and good character.'

The court heard how Keith - described as an 'attractive' young woman - had been subjected to years of sexual harassment at the plumbing firm where she worked.

On the day of the attack, she was made redundant from her plumbing job for which she spent three years qualifying for.

Keith lost her job after she complained to her bosses about relentless sexual harassment from her colleagues, the court was told.



Hours later she was drowning her sorrows in a nightclub and - in a drunken state - thought Mr Kirkham was 'eyeing her up'.



Angered by the unwanted attention - the sort of behaviour which, she claimed, had led to the loss of her job - she threw her glass at him, cutting his head.



Howard Phillips, prosecuting, said the attack took place in an Exeter club and the victim needed hospital treatment for a one-inch cut on his eyebrow.



Nick Bradley, defending, said Keith had lost her plumbing job that day and was drinking to drown her sorrows.

He added: 'She was made redundant from the work she was doing. She had been suffering problems of harassment and decided to make a stand.

'She was in a very male-orientated environment and decided she was not going to put up with it. Unfortunately the response she got was not as supportive as she hoped.

'She is a young lady who is not unattractive and she received attention which she did not want. It was against that background that she went out and uncharacteristically had drinks, which she would not do normally.'