Village pub stab horror as barmaid, 18, ‘knifed by landlady’
A VILLAGE pub landlady appeared in court yesterday accused of stabbing a staff member.
Luisa Santos, 46, allegedly plunged a kitchen knife into Hannah Pritchett’s hip before pursuing the 18 year old and attacking her for a second time.
A court heard the incident at the Three Horseshoes in Princethorpe, Warwickshire, occurred on Saturday lunchtime after the landlady had ‘instructed’ her partner to tell Miss Pritchett to leave.
Prosecutor Baldev Atwal said Santos told her partner ‘there would be a confrontation if she (Miss Pritchett) didn’t leave.’
He claimed: ‘She went to the kitchen... and without warning, plunged the knife into Miss Pritchett’s left hip.’
Coventry magistrates were told that customers including children were in the pub as the teenager was chased outside, where she ‘attempted to seek sanctuary in her vehicle’.
The court heard Miss Pritchett was lucky to escape internal injury, with the first wound penetrating 17cm (6.7in). The pub is on the A423 just yards from the £4,617-a-term Princethorpe College, an independent Roman Catholic day school which counts former England cricketer Ian Bell among its alumni.
The incident happened just before 2pm. Miss Pritchett, who also suffered a buttock wound, was taken to University Hospital in Coventry where she is believed to have had surgery.
‘Ran outside to get away’
Warwickshire Police later said she had not suffered life-threatening injuries.
Santos appeared in court charged with attempted murder and possessing a knife in a public place. She spoke only to confirm her name and address, which was given as the pub, and was remanded in custody until a further hearing next month.
A resident who lives nearby said: ‘I was told the young staff member was stabbed inside but ran outside to get away from the landlady, where she collapsed.
‘I saw a few customers and residents standing around outside as the ambulance arrived. The girl was able to stand up by herself before she was taken away in the ambulance.’
The Three Horseshoes is owned by Stonegate Group, which operates more than 4,500 pubs – making it Britain’s biggest pub company. A spokesman said: ‘We have been made aware of an incident that took place at the Three Horseshoes where a member of the pub team was injured.’
He added: ‘Our thoughts are with the injured party as we look to understand the situation that occurred.’