A WOMAN who unintentionally glassed another woman at a party, when she went to throw her drink at her has been spared jail.

Judita Balciene, 50, was at a gathering of Lithuanian women at Soccer Dome in Blackburn, on October 28 2017 when a “silly row” row broke out with one of the other guests.

The woman was complaining about the way some of the younger women were dancing, and Balciene defended them, telling the woman not to be such a prude.

Judge Andrew Jefferies QC, sentencing, said: “No doubt because of the alcohol you had both drunk you rowed with each other.

“The victim does not accept throwing a drink over you but during the row you did indeed throw a drink over her.

“I saw you give evidence and I believe that is all you intended to do – throw a drink over her.”

However the court heard the glass smashed and cut through the outside of the woman’s chin, through to the back of her tongue.

Judge Jefferies said: “It was by any view a very serious injury.”

Balciene was convicted of section 20 wounding and appeared at Preston Crown Court for sentence.

The court heard she was a woman with no previous convictions and a 20-year work record behind her.

The judge said: “The idea a 50-year-old woman of good character with a good work record, out of a frankly nothing argument, would inflict that sort of injury deliberately, I find very hard to accept.

“Although there is a very nasty injury there was no intention to use the weapon.”

More than 40 people signed a letter supporting Balciene’s good character. The judge said he took into account the two years which have passed since the incident, during which Balciene has had the prospect of a more serious charge of GBH hanging over her.

He handed her a community order with 300 hours of unpaid work, telling her: “This is a very exceptional course. If I have misjudged you and you do not want to comply with the Probation Service, there is an 18 month prison sentence awaiting you.”