A TEENAGER who thrust a glass jar into the face of childhood friend causing her permanent scarring has been jailed.

Amy Louise Short attacked her now former friend outside a convenience store in Tow Law, County Durham, after the two had a row about her having been kicked out of a house party.

Short then sent text messages offering the victim money if she withdrew charges, Durham Crown Court was told.

Sentencing Short to four years in prison, Judge Ray Singh said: “It is always a great shame to see someone appear before the court for the very first time in their life – someone who is still relatively young.

“You are 19, but were 18 at time of this offence, and of course of previous good character. To appear for such a serious offence as this is surprising.”

Mr Singh said he did not accept her expression of remorse because her guilty plea had come late in the proceedings.

He added: “You made no comment in interview, so there wasn’t any remorse on your part.

“What you should have been saying is ‘I am really sorry its my best childhood friend. I don’t know what happened. I did hit her and I’m really sorry. None of that. And then you pleaded not guilty when you came to court.”

Robin Turton, prosecuting, said the incident unfolded on January 4 last year after Short was asked to leave a house party and became belligerent.

He said: “Outside an argument ensued about why Short had been asked to leave. They continued in high street where the argument became more heated and Short punched the victim in the face, causing her to fall to the ground.

“The defendant got on top of her and began pulling her hair. Two friends arrived and intervened and pulled the defendant off her.

“The victim realised she had lost her earring and began looking for it. At this point Short smashed a Mason jar glass into her face.

Short began to apologise but the victim was in no mood to accept it which “enraged the Short sufficiently” to prompt her to to punch her in the face again.

The victim later went to hospital where lacerations to the left cheek and jaw were stitched. She also had swelling and bruising.

Mr Turton said on January 16 Short started sending messages to a mutual friend asking that the victim be urged not to prosecute. In one text she said: “It is putting my mam through hell. I’ll pay money straight to her if she is wanting money.”

In a statement outlining impact the attack had on her, the victim said her facial scars had not faded and she did not like leaving home without make up.

She said: “I find it much harder to speak to strangers, as I often think they are looking at my scars and this makes me feel self concious.

“Not long after being glassed I had a job interview. I felt very awkward because of my scars.

“I found it much more difficult to speak because I kept thinking the person interviewing me was looking at the scars on my face.

“What Amy did was a betrayal of a friendship we had since we were children. There is is nothing Amy can do to give my face back."

Stephen Reed, mitigating, said it was a single blow that cause the injury and there was a lack of premeditation, while Short had shown “genuine remorse” through her guilty plea.

He said: “She was 18 at the time. She is an unsophisticated, immature and naive, and led a somewhat sheltered and is a vulnerable person who suffered significant trauma herself at an early age.”

Short, of Attlee Estate, Tow Law, pleaded guilty before a scheduled trial to charges of wounding with intent and doing an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice.