Woman cut father’s throat in attack

Daughter avoids jail after drunken assault on parent

A DAUGHTER who cut her dad’s throat has walked free from court.

Natalie Moody turned up at her mother’s home drunk and making threats so her dad was asked to come from his house nearby, a court heard.

But when he got there Moody locked the door, took the keys and her dad, George, noticed she was holding a knife.

“She then lunged towards his chest and moved towards him with the knife, trying to slash his neck and throat, in his view,” Angus Taylor, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court.

“He turned away and moved back towards the door.

“At this point she reached over the top of him from behind with the knife in her hand and pulled it against his neck and then pulled it across the throat.”

The court heard the attack happened on March 18 on St Stephen’s Way, Percy Main, North Shields.

Mr Moody said in a victim statement: “I’m devastated she has done this. I know she has some issues which need to be sorted out and her drinking is becoming a real issue. She needs help.”

He was left with a one inch wound to his throat described as a “fairly nasty cut” but the court heard Moody intended to cause more harm than she did.

The 25-year-old, of Church Way, North Shields, admitted assault and was sentenced to 12 months suspended for two years with a community order.

Recorder John Thackray told her: “Your offence is very serious and it could have been so much more serious. The courts are familiar with scenarios like this where fatal injuries are caused and you could have been facing a homicide charge, manslaughter if not murder.”

The judge added: “Your father attended your mother’s address, you having attended there late in the evening in Natalie Moody, who cut her dad’s throat in North Shields drink. What you did is brandish a knife and when your father came into the house, you locked the door behind him and put the keys in your pocket, demonstrating, as the prosecution say, premeditation.

“You reached over his shoulder with the knife and cut his throat.

“You and he are extremely fortunate the injury was not more serious.

“The victim personal statement describes the complainant’s devastation at what you have done and it’s not simply the physical injury but the psychological consequences of your actions and him knowing it could have been far worse.

“You intended to cause more harm than you did cause.”

Jane Foley, defending, said Moody had described “difficulties with her father”.

She said: “At 25 years of age she has struggled to maintain an ordinary relationship with her father and perhaps other family members.

“But since this incident she and her mother have been getting on.”