A heavily-pregnant mum who smashed her brother in the face with a medieval MACE as he brawled with her husband has walked free from court.
Laura Cotterill-Attaway, 34, belted brother Peter Lee, 30, with the 16ins (40cm) weapon – breaking two of his front teeth.
The 200-year-old weapon, which her husband used in historic battle re-enactments, had a long wooden handle tipped with a metal spiked ball.
She attacked her brother after he refused to leave the Rising Sun pub, which she ran with her husband Jason, 36, in Coventry, on July 4 last year.
Cotterill-Attaway, who married Jason in a medieval-themed wedding on St George’s Day last year, pleaded guilty to assault when she appeared at Coventry Crown Court on Thursday.
She was given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 12 month supervision order.
Sentencing her, Judge Peter Stretton, told her it was an ”exceptional case”.
He said: ”You ought to understand that in almost all cases where a weapon is used, particularly if serious or lasting injury is caused, an immediate prison sentence is passed.
”I do not pass it on you for a number of reasons; your good character, your early guilty plea and the tensions which were running high in this incident.”
The court heard Cotterill-Attaway – who was six months pregnant with her second child at the time – launched at Mr Lee at 2am on July 4 last year.
Minutes earlier Mr Lee, who was her financial partner in the pub, was drinking with friends in the bar when Mr Cotterill-Attaway asked them to leave.
Kathryn Roughton, prosecuting, said: ”Peter Lee is the defendant’s brother. They ran a public house and Peter Lee had invested some money.
”At 2am on July 4 Peter Lee was in the bar drinking with friends. The bar was closed and they were finishing off their drinks and the music was playing.
”Jason Cotterill-Attaway believed drinks were being sold after closing time and he wanted everybody to leave and turn the music off.
”There was a disagreement between Peter Lee and Jason Cotterill-Attaway.
”A scuffle broke out and they grappled with each other for several second and punches were thrown.
”Members of staff split them up. Laura Cotterill-Attaway had seen it on CCTV in the living quarters upstairs.
”She comes downstairs in her flip-flops, stood in front of him [Mr Lee] and without warning strikes him with something she had in her hand.
”He felt pain in his face. She had struck him with a medieval mace he had seen lying around the pub.
”She knew her brother was drunk and could be difficult so in order to make herself more threatening she armed herself with the mace.”
Mr Lee was taken to hospital where he was treated for two broken teeth and severe bruising on his lips.
The court heard the mace belonged to Mr Cotterill-Attaway who was a keen member of a medieval combat society which held regular battle re-enactments.
Mr Cotterill-Attaway – who staged heavy metal nights at the pub – also took the mace into schools to illustrate historical battles.
Judge Stretton refused a request by Cotterill-Attaway’s barrister Kristina Montgomery to return the weapon.
He said: ”I’m going to have the weapon destroyed. It is a symbolic order more than anything else.
”Use of such weapons is very much to be deplored.”
Cotterill-Attaway, who wore all black in court and sported a nose-ring, attended court with her husband.
Speaking after the case Mr Cotterill-Attaway said: ”The mace was very very old and was used as a prop. We are glad the case is all over.”
The couple, who have six-month-old daughter and seven-year-old son, are moving to Kidderminster, Worcs., in March where they will take over another pub.
I think this woman, and I say woman in very lose terms!!!! as she looks like something that has been beeched on the sand!!!! (whale) and has acted like an animal!! has she no dignity! I would say not!!… Get some self respect and act like a woman!! DISCRACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VILE VILE VILE VILE VILE, AND I FORGOT TO SAY VILE woman!!!!!! SHE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF HER BEHAVOUR! pregnancy and a child only saved her from prison! they were her only tools to keep her out of prison! her husband should be ashamed of her, and her family if she has any!!! If I was her mother or father I would be ashamed of her behavour!!! I AGREE WITH YOU CHARLIE, DISGRACE DISGRACE DISGRACE!!!!!!!!
You know nothing about this woman or her situation so keep your mouth shut!!! This article is a load of rubbish!
To reply to your coment loulou, her situation as you put it! She broke the law!!!! and acted like an animal. This page is a comments board and I am expressing MY opion, so I will NOT keep my mouth shut! If this article is a load of rubbish why are you commenting on it! The article isnt rubbish, it also made the national news papers the SUN! I hope she is humiliated by these comments if she reads them, she should be!
what a ugly horrible pig , she looks like waynetta slob! what a disgrace to do that to your younger brother i bet your mum is so proud of u!!!
her mum was proud of her when she was alive and you have not got a clue
they said she had a 7 year old son wot they did not prit is that he is disabled and loz would not done this for o reason
you dont do that to family! her and her fella obviously need mental help , he even asked for it back!!!! what a plum
KEEPFAMILYTOGETHER……yes she broke the law and she nos she did wrong but what they fail to mention in the article is the circumstances behind why she did what she did…. her brother laid into her first so she protected herself and her unborn baby which she later went onto have 10 weeks early due to the stress her brother had put her under for months before this crap happened…. And the article is rubbish mainly lies so u will shut ur mouth. Dont judge people and dont believe everything you read in the papers!!!
IZZLE WIZZLE……… Again this article in the SUN is wrong he is not younger than her he is older by 6 years….. Again dont judge people you no nothing about and dont believe everything you read in the paper.
PEOPLE LIKE YOU LOT MAKE ME SICK!! JUDGE PEOPLE WITH OUT NOING THE FACTS. LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER MESSED UP IN YOUR LIFE AY.
GO GET A LIFE AND STOP PUTTING PEOPLE DOWN THAT YOU WILL NEVER MEET!
SOOOOOOO ANGRY
Reply to LOULOU, this information is supplied by a court reporter for this article, who sits through the hole proceedings and the evidence provived by the cps, defence, and witness statements, there is no mention at ALL that her brother hit her first!! if that was the case it would off been mentioned in the defence case!!!! NO MENTION AT ALL!! ( IF I WERE PREGNANT, I WOULD NOT PUT MY FAMILY IN A SITUATION WERE I COULD GO TO PRISON!! To leave an autistic child, without a mother, and have a baby in prison!!! that isnt what a mother does!!! She is a very lucky lady to use the trump card (CHILDREN) to keep her out.
It appears you know this woman personally, or are infulenced by her as there appears you are telling me to SHUT MY MOUTH! dont do that! its a lack of education if you cant be illitirate in your diction, and verbalise your discussion!
You say never judge people but I think I will keep to my original opion,she as a DISCRACE!!!!!
I hope your relationship/friendship blossom and carries on
hi there lou lou as for telling people to shut there mouths this is actually a comments page and you are entitled to your opinion which i might add i totally agree with you charlie. if my husband and brother were fighting i would have been more inclined to hit out at my husband, but can i add i am not a violent person and could think of other ways of being able to stop a fight and as a last resort if i felt i really had to lash out and strike (which is highly unlikely i love my family dealy) i think a MACE (which i believe to be a sort of bat with spikes on) would be the last choice of weapons !!!!
Hi Just a quick message what a lovly lady you are ( Lol) wonder what would have happened had your Brother Hit You in your face with a mace !!!!!!
At hospital they wouldhave sewn at least 3 yards of your mouth up,I don’t agree with your Brother fighting either its a disgrace that you put your Unborn child at risk your fella dosen’t look like a small guy !!sure he could have coped really,
The easy opition would have been to call 999 or was you all drinking after hours maybe ?????
Also just want to say my Son is no saint either but when he gets a sentence of 27 months for a text after being provoked,
You smash someone in the face with a Mace and basically get told off No Justice……