Woman jailed for champagne flute attack has sentence cut

A businesswoman who injured a female guest in the face at a charity event with a champagne flute has had her jail sentence halved.

Appeal judges rejected a plea to quash the 18-month prison term imposed on Deborah Morren and deal with her by a non-custodial disposal.

But the Lord Justice Clerk, Lady Dorrian, sitting with Lady Clark of Calton and Lord Turnbull, ruled that her sentence should be reduced to nine months.

The case was referred to the three judges at the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh after two judges, who earlier heard the sentence challenge, Lady Paton and Lord Glennie, were unable to agree on its disposal.

On Thursday, Lady Dorrian said the trio were satisfied that Sheriff Margaret Neilson had been entitled to conclude that the serious and unprovoked attack carried out by Morren merited a custodial sentence.

But she said the sheriff ’s starting point in sentencing – two years before a reduction to reflect her guilty plea – was “excessive”. Morren, 54, from Muir of Ord, had earlier admitted attacking Gail MacDonald to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement when she appeared at Inverness Sheriff Court.

After throwing the contents of her glass at the victim she drew back her hand and struck her with the champagne flute. The victim required stitches to facial injuries she sustained in the attack at the fundraising event for the Highland Hospice at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness on October 30, 2016.

Defence counsel Fred Mackintosh said a number of events had impacted on Morren including the death of her brother, who was murdered.

He said Morren had reacted impulsively and “totally out of character” and had expressed remorse for her actions.

Morren, who has served more than three months of her sentence, followed proceedings in court via a video link to prison.

She could be heard saying before the appeal began: “I don’t think I am getting out.”

“Morren followed proceedings in court via a video link to prison”