Leeds woman blinded after friend attacks her with 90p Wilkos household cleaner

A woman was left partially blinded after being squirted in the face with cleaning fluid during an attack by her friend.
Lindsay NearyLindsay Neary
Lindsay Neary

Lindsay Neary, 34, was jailed after a court heard how she carried out the attack on a fellow sex worker at her home in Leeds.

Neary flew into a rage after being told that the victim had been taking men back to the house for sex.

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Leeds Crown Court heard the two women had been had been friends for four years and were smoking crack cocaine together in the attic at the property on Ingram Crescent, Holbeck, on April 25 last year.

Alisha Kaye, prosecuting, said a housing worker visited the property and told Neary that she had received a complaint.

Neary became angry and went upstairs to confront the victim about bringing men back to the house..

Neary headbutted her before picking up a bottle of household cleaning spray and squirting it in her face.

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The victim ran from the house as Neary gave chase and kicked her.

She was taken to hospital where the yellow liquid was cleaned from her eyes.

She had also suffered a 5cm cut to her head.

Miss Kaye said doctors had expected the victim to make a full recovery but she failed to keep eye clinic appointments.

The court heard she suffered infections and had now gone completely blind in her left eye.

She only has partial sight in her right eye.

Neary pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding.

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Stephen Smithson, mitigating, said Neary did not realise the liquid could cause such serious injury.

He said she had squirted a bottle of Wilkos household cleaner which she had bought for 90p two weeks before the incident.

Mr Smithson said the bottle had the words "can cause serious irritation to the eyes" written on it.

He added: "She intended to squirt what she thought was household cleaner in to her face.

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"But had medical advice been followed by the complainant then it would appear from the statement of the doctor that a full recovery would have been made."

Neary was jailed for two years, eight months.

Judge James Spencer, QC, said: "You squirted this cleaning liquid in to her eyes.

"The consequences, albeit with some negligence on her part, have been catastrophic.

"It was a wicked thing to do and it can't be overlooked."

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