Julie Myers poured a Buxton bottle full of drain cleaner over her ex-partner’s head
A spurned woman who poured a Buxton bottle full of drain cleaner over her ex-partner’s head at a pub was today jailed for nine years.
Julie Myers, 57, left Graham Slade, 40, permanently scarred by the acid attack which she carried out after they met at a country pub in the Hertfordshire village of Sarratt to settle their finances.
Myers, a cleaner and carer from Kings Langley, had arranged to meet Mr Slade – who was in a new relationship – at The Cricketers pub to settle their finances.
But when he arrived, she lured him to her car where they first had what he said was an amicable conversation, St Albans Crown Court was told.
Philip Farr, prosecuting, said after she handed over £300 cash she reached down and picked up the bottle before tipping the contents over his head.
Mr Farr said: ‘He grabbed the bottle and believed at first it was water, but when he got out of the car he felt stinging and intense pain.
‘He was in a state of shock and heard her say: ‘Are you going to shut the door?’
The former couple met at The Cricketers pub in Sarratt, Hertfordshire, to settle their finances
Mr Slade drove to a friend’s house in severe pain. His right eye was shut and the right side of his face was black. She took him to Watford General Hospital.
He suffered permanent scarring to his right eye and face from the attack, which happened at around a quarter past seven at night on July 2 last year.
Mr Slade was also scarred on the torso, leg and arm. He was transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital burns unit where he received skin grafts.
The customer services worker still attends the hospital as an out-patient and sees a psychologist to help with the mental trauma caused by the attack.
In a victim personal statement, Mr Slade said that he was too scared to leave the house for a month. He said when he now went out he wore a hat.
Myers appeared for sentence having admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing an offensive weapon. She was of previous good character.
Outlining the background to the attack, Mr Farr said the victim and Myers had been in a relationship for over ten years before splitting up on good terms in 2014.
They were living together as friends in 2017, with him staying in the spare room.
The prosecutor said: ‘The arrangement worked well until March 2018 when he said he had begun seeing a work colleague.
Mr Slade drove to a friend’s house in severe pain, and she took him to Watford General Hospital
‘The relationship deteriorated and he felt the defendant was trying to cause problems.
‘It manifested itself with low-level harassment at his work and speaking to the colleague.
‘She said Mr Slade was a cheater and said she would damage his property. He was kicked in the back as he was hanging out washing and slapped during an argument.’
She lied to a friend and his parents that he had given her a sexually transmitted infection and defaced his car.
Before she poured the strong alkaline substance over his head, she said: ‘I don’t like to be threatened’ – a reference to Mr Slade saying he would go to the police if the harassment did not stop.
Will Noble, defending, said Myers had been diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease – a condition that affected other members of her family.
He said: ‘The assault occurred in the context of her mental deterioration. She suffered personality changes with the cruel and debilitating condition she has been diagnosed with.
‘Huntington’s played a part in her extraordinary behaviour, which was out of character.’
He said she received tremendous support from people in the court’s public gallery and had led an exemplary life – caring for her mother and those members of her family who had the condition.
Mr Noble went on: ‘She is shocked by her behaviour and is deeply remorseful. She would like to meet Mr Slade and apologise.’
Jailing her, Judge Philip Grey said: ‘You perpetrated a truly, cruel premeditated assault on your former partner. You lured him to meeting where you inflicted life-long damage.
‘You took a weapon with you and caused extremely severe disfiguring injuries and excruciating pain. It was a truly wicked thing to do.
‘Every day for the rest of his life he will have to display to the world the effects of what you did to him.
‘What you did was absolutely out of character, but not out of the blue – your obsessive behaviour showed you were very bitter towards him.’
The judge said the early stages of Huntingdon’s may have had an impact on her thought processes, but ‘offences of this nature are of the greatest public concern.’
After the case, PC Alex Akers, from Hertfordshire Constabulary’s domestic abuse investigation and safeguarding unit, said: ‘The victim in this case has been left with permanent scarring to his face as a result of the action of Myers.
‘The sentence passed by Judge Grey clearly reflects the seriousness of the assault and I would urge anyone suffering from domestic abuse to contact police as we have specially trained officers who will deal with your case sensitively and can provide you with support.’