Two Aberdeen women who repeatedly stabbed and kicked their helpless victim in a “brutal” street attack have been jailed.
Candice Seers, 38, and accomplice Leah Petrie, 22, attacked Tina Stewart on Hutcheon Street on May 30 2023.
The High Court in Edinburgh heard how Ms Stewart, 33, was stabbed repeatedly during the assault. She was also punched and kicked repeatedly on the head and body.
The court heard that the pair continued to attack Ms Stewart as she lay defenceless on the ground.
On Thursday, the pair, who pled guilty to the attack at proceedings last month, reappeared in the dock before judge Lord Lake for sentencing.
Duo originally faced attempted murder charges
They had originally faced charges of attempted murder but prosecutors accepted guilty pleas to a reduced charge of assaulting Ms Stewart to her injury, permanent disfigurement and to the “danger of her life.”
The duo’s lawyers told the court their clients were full of remorse for their actions and knew prison was inevitable.
Seers was jailed for five years and 10 months and Petrie was locked up for five years and five months.
Lord Lake told the pair: “This was a brutal assault. A total of 12 injuries were recorded and a number of these were inflicted after the complainer fell to the ground.
“It is clear to me, that you acted together in this attack.”
The story emerged following a hearing at the High Court on Thursday.
Prosecutor Colin Edward told Lord Lake that the trio had spent the evening at a friend’s house in Aberdeen.
However, Ms Stewart left after they fell out with each other.
The court heard that the three women later met up with each other on Hutcheon Street.
Seers and Petrie then unleashed extreme violence against Ms Stewart.
Mr Edward said that, following the attack, an ambulance crew took Ms Stewart to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where she received treatment for her injuries.
Witnesses heard the victim shout ‘I’ve been stabbed’
After the ordeal, witnesses told The Press and Journal they saw a group of women arguing in the street shortly before 1am.
But it was not until one of the women fell back into the street shouting, “I’ve been stabbed”, that witnesses realised how serious the incident was and called 999.
Kieran Desouza, who at the time lived at Hutcheon Court which overlooks the scene, called the police.
He was getting ready for bed when he heard a group of women shouting – with one telling someone to put a knife away.
The 31-year-old told The P&J: “I saw a small group of about five that appeared to be all middle-aged women.
“There was an argument between two women and the other three. There was just shouting at first.”
He said it seemed to briefly calm down before a fight erupted, beginning with punches being thrown.
“My flat is quite high up and it was dark so it was hard to make out everything,” he said.
“To begin with, it looked like it was just punching.
“Then a slightly bigger friend of the attacker pulled the victim’s hair and dragged her to the ground.”
Mr Desouza said that the woman was then stabbed for about “half a minute” before the culprits walked off in the opposite direction, leaving the woman on the ground.
“The victim started to get up off the pavement,” he added. “She leaned on the garage door and then slumped and stumbled into the main road and fell on her back.
“She shouted: ‘Help, I have been stabbed’.”
Mr Desouza added: “You don’t really expect to see that sort of thing. These days anything can happen. It’s more violent these days.”
Another resident heard “shouting and screaming”, but had not realised how serious the incident was.
He told this newspaper: “I usually look out the window when I hear something but I thought it was just a group of drunk people.
“I didn’t think it was an altercation between people. I feel bad I didn’t look out now.”
Defence lawyers speak of pair’s ‘chaotic’ upbringings
At the sentencing hearing, Seers’ advocate Patricia Baillie told the court that her client had a troubled childhood.
She added: “Her childhood was marred by the effects of alcoholic parents which resulted in a violent and often chaotic background. There was truanting from school.”
Petrie’s advocate Lynsey Morgan told Lord Lake that her client also had a “chaotic” background.
She added: “She has lost her mother.”
Ms Morgan told Lord Lake that while on remand, Petrie has been helping fellow female prisoners with their beauty routines.
She had been participating in an initiative led by hospitality firm Greene King designed to help prisoners find work following release.
The defence lawyer added: “She hopes to enrol in a beauty course at college following her release from custody.”
Lord Lake told the women their sentence would be discounted to reward their guilty pleas.
Police Scotland said it would not release images taken of the pair in police custody but did not provide a reason.
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