Joanne Rand, 47, was sitting on a park bench when a group of men began fighting near her
A teenager has been charged with murder after the death of a woman nurse who suffered severe burns when acid was thrown over her.
Joanne Rand, 47, was sitting on a park bench when a group of men began fighting near her in Frogmoor, near High Wycombe, Bucinghamshire.
She was allegedly sprayed with the substance after one of the man kicked a bottle during the altercation, and died at Stoke Mandeville Hospital 11 days later.
Xeneral Webster, 18, of Hammersmith, West London, has now been charged with murder and is due to appear at Reading Crown Court next April.
Webster also faces charges of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and causing grievous bodily harm. All relate to offences on the same day in June.
Following the attack on June 3, detectives issued a CCTV picture of the acid bottle believed to have been used in the incident, in the hope that the public might find it and hand it in to the police.
The family of Joanne Rand today released a tribute to the mother-of-three and revealed that she had lost her daughter Charlotte in 2011.
They wrote: ‘Jo will be fondly remembered as a fun-loving, bubbly and caring person. She meant so much to so many and her tragic and sudden death has left everyone who knew her shocked and deeply saddened.
‘Jo was born in County Durham and grew up in High Wycombe. She was the youngest sibling of five girls. Growing up, Jo was very mischievous. As the baby of the family, Jo was spoilt by her sisters and was always the centre of their attention.
‘Jacqueline and Lynn were especially close to Jo. They had a special bond and would speak most days having a laugh and a joke and would meet up when they could.
‘We are utterly devastated. Our pain is immense and our hearts are shattered. We will never get over losing Jo, she has left such a big hole.
‘Jo lived locally in the area all her life and had three children, Charlotte, Ryan and Katie. Jo was very proud of her children, loved them dearly and always put them first.
‘Jo and her family were devastated at the tragic loss of Charlotte in 2011 and Jo found it hard to come to terms with. Katie and Ryan are so heartbroken, they cannot find the words to describe how they feel about losing their mum.
‘Jo was deeply loved by her partner Eddie. He misses her so much and feels lost without her and will always remember her lovely smiling eyes.’
‘She was known for her witty sense of humour and her favourite saying was ‘Crack On.’ She had a positive outlook on life even when she was going through tough times. Jo had always been young at heart and loved nothing more than socialising with friends, enjoying music and dancing.
‘Jo’s love of caring for people led her to work at the Sir Aubrey Ward care home in Marlow where she was a valued member of the team. Jo was hardworking and passionate about her job and made many close friends.
‘Jo was loved by many and will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.’