Levi Cracknell, 24, was accused of attacking her friend Emma Bent in a night club after having a one-night stand with Ms Bent’s boyfriend
A woman who had a 2am catfight after she was accused of having a fling with her friend’s long-term partner has been cleared by a jury in less than 20 minutes.
Levi Cracknell, 24, went behind Emma Bent’s back to sleep with soldier Scott Clayton, also 24, in a one-night stand, a court heard.
But when Cracknell was shunned by 20-year old nursery nurse Emma she allegedly confronted her violently during a 2am alcohol-fuelled showdown at Shots Bar in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
Cracknell had denied assault claiming she was acting in self defence and on Thursday afternoon she was cleared by jurors at Bolton Crown Court in just 16 minutes.
In a police interview following the incident on July 30 last year, Cracknell said: ‘My version was self defence, at the time I was talking to Scott, her partner.’
Cracknell claimed it was Emma who ‘gripped’ her hair first before knocking over a table with glasses on because she was ‘really drunk’.
Emma landed on the broken glass and sustained cuts to the palm of her left hand and cuts to her knees and feet, which required hospital attention and stitches. Bouncers had to pick her up off the floor.
Ms Bent, 20, pictured with long-term soldier boyfriend Scott Clayton, 24. Mr Clayton was said to have had a one-night stand with Ms Cracknell prior to the attack
Bolton Crown Court heard the incident occurred after Emma found out her boyfriend of three years Clayton had been unfaithful to her with Cracknell.
Prosecuting, Brian McKenna said: ‘Emma was not very pleased so decided not to have anything to do with Levi Cracknell.
Ms Cracknell pictured leaving Bolton Crown Court after hearing evidence against her regarding the alleged attack at Shots Bar in Bolton
‘At 2am both of them were in the Shots Bar and Emma Bent was sat at a table where there were glasses and bottles.
‘One of Levi’s friends Alana Barlow came up to her and asked ‘why are you not speaking to me anymore?’
‘Emma Bent then said she didn’t want to speak to her because she was a friend of Levi’s but Levi then arrived and said ‘who are you kicking off with?’
‘Emma at that point stood up and told Levi it was nothing to do with her but Levi grabbed Emma by the hair and pulled her forward. She then pulled her over the table where all of the glasses and bottles fell and smashed.
‘She continued to pull Emma Bent by the hair until she fell on to the glasses, and when on the ground continued to pull her. Miss Bent received cuts to her left hand, both knees and both feet.’
Giving evidence behind a screen, Emma told the jury: ‘Me and Scott had been in a relationship for about three years and on the night I was still in a relationship with him.
‘I had previously discovered he had been unfaithful to me and I was aware of a one night stand.
‘When I found out I was furious with both of them but I eventually forgave Scott and took him back.
‘I don’t hate Levi but we are not friends, I’m angry at her. In fact me and Levi had been quite good friends until the discovery of what had taken place with Scott.
‘Levi had no reason to come over and attack me. I didn’t attack Levi and I don’t hate her.’
Ms Cracknell heard evidence from prosecutor Brian McKenna, Ms Bent and witness Tamara Brocklehurst on Thursday
Tamara Brocklehurst, a friend of Emma, said: ‘I saw Levi cross the table and grab Emma’s hair and as she did that she brought her forward towards herself.
‘There was a table in between. As Levi pulled her the table knocked over which caused Emma to fall on all the glass.
‘Emma went on to the floor because Levi pulled her. Levi kept dragging her towards her and pulling her to the floor by her hair.
‘Emma was on her hands and knees with her head down. If just looked like she was trying to get up and Levi had hold of her hair.
‘It lasted between three and five minutes. It all happened very quickly until the bouncers came in.
Tamara added: ‘I found out about the cheating about two months ago. Emma has never said before or after the incident anything about Levi. I wasn’t aware before the incident anything about Levi. I think I’ve seen Emma drunk once.’
Ms Bent has said that she was angry at Ms Cracknell but had no plans to fight her when they met on a night out in July 2016
But in the interview, the court heard, Cracknell said: ‘I saw Emma and my friend arguing, I’ve gone over like any friend would and said why are you arguing.
‘Emma turned around and gripped my hair. She was pulling it – there was no punching all I was trying to do was get her off me because she was pushing my head to the floor.
‘I’ve pushed her and she’s fell into the table and all the glasses have smashed. I do have to admit she was really drunk I was not, I was sober.
‘She fell into the table and went on the floor. I don’t even understand how she had got on the floor. The bouncers dragged her out of the club, I’ve even got in touch with the Shots Bar for the CCTV but they said they don’t have it anymore.
‘I did what she had done to me and now I’m getting done for it. My friend who she was arguing with had riled her up so much and she took it out on me because there’s so much history.
Mr Clayton and Ms Bent pictured together. The court heard Ms Bent knew about her boyfriend’s one-night stand with Ms Cracknell but had since forgiven him
‘To be honest, I wouldn’t want to mess a girl’s legs up, that’s the best part about them isn’t it? She spoke to Scott and said ‘hello’ but he never wants anything to do with her on a night out.
‘I’m not petty, it wasn’t even a real attack. She pulled my hair and she ended up getting hurt. I said ‘if you think I’ve attacked you then you go and ring the police’ I don’t want to be made out like a liar.
‘I had only been out an hour and had a pint of Strongbow Dark Fruits, Scott drank most of it, he kept taking my drink off me.’