Lesbian shows jury photograph of gay rights tattoo on her buttock to prove she was not guilty of homophobic attack



Lauren Proverbs cleared by a judge after jury fail to return a verdict and will not face a retrial

Cleared: Lauren Proverbs, 21, who has been in a lesbian relationship herself showed the court a rainbow tattoo to prove she was not anti-gay

A lesbian accused of a homophobic attack showed a jury a picture of a gay rights tattoo on her bottom to prove she was not guilty.

Lauren Proverbs, 21, said she would never have attacked Gina Landon who was out with a girlfriend because of her sexuality, adding she had once been in a gay relationship herself.



She admitted punching the woman in a takeaway restaurant in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, but showed the court the rainbow tattoo to prove she was not anti-gay.

After a jury were unable to reach a verdict, Ms Proverbs, 21, was formally cleared by a judge of carrying out the attack and will not face a re-trial.

The defendant had got the tattoo while on holiday in Spain in 2008 when she was herself in a relationship with another woman, Luton Crown Court heard.

During the trial the jury was told Ms Proverbs and a friend got into a row with Gina Landon, her girlfriend and her girlfriend's sister.

Ms Landon said to the court she turned round and said: 'If you don't mind, I am talking to my girlfriend,' and added 'She (Ms Proverbs) called me a f****** dyke and a f****** lesbian.'

She also claimed that the defendant had said she was going to 'have her'.



The row continued and Ms Proverbs attacked Ms Landon outside the takeaway in the early hours of Saturday January 8 this year, it was alleged.

Ms Landon said she was punched in the face before falling to the ground bleeding from the mouth.



'I was slightly delirious at the time but I remember her picking up her foot and stamping down really hard on my ribs,' she added.

She had a cut lip, an abrasion over her ribs where she had been stamped on and a bump to the back of her head.



But the defendant denied causing actual bodily harm - and said she would never have made homophobic remarks.

No new case: Judge Stephen Farrell QC today ruled that Lauren Proverbs, 21, will not face a retrial after a jury at Luton Crown Court, pictured, failed to reach a verdict

The tattoo on her right buttock showed the colours of the rainbow - a symbol which showed her positive attitude to lesbian and gay matters.

She told the court that it was Ms Landon who had been acting aggressively inside the shop asking her and her friend to go outside.

Ms Proverbs said 'I was scared for both of us, mainly for my friend. Gina was constantly saying let's go outside.'

Outside the shop she said Ms Landon and her friend were grappling and it was then that she threw a single punch because she feared for the safety of her friend and herself and was acting in self-defence, she said.