Mum-of-seven jailed following 'frenzied' screwdriver attack in a homeless shelter

A homeless mum-of-seven has been jailed after she "snapped" and stabbed another woman 20 times with a screwdriver.

Elizabeth Lee, 47, launched a "frenzied revenge attack" upon her "defenceless" victim, who was already lying injured on the ground after being assaulted by an unknown man, the Liverpool Echo reported.

After pleading guilty to the shocking assault at a homeless shelter, Lee told a pre-sentence report that she was "not sorry at all" - but she wept as she was sentenced to three-and-a-half years on Monday (November 18).

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Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon that Lee and an unidentified male entered the foyer of Ann Fowler House, a hostel on Fraser Street in Liverpool city centre, on the evening of September 13 this year and attacked Claire Edwards and a second man. The 48-year-old, of Hillary Walk in Crosby, was seen "removing an item from her sleeve, believed to be a screwdriver", and stabbing her victim with the implement "approximately 20 times".

CCTV footage of the incident was played to the court and showed Lee's hooded accomplice initiating the attack on both complainants, raining down a flurry of punches and kicks upon them and causing Ms Edwards to fall to the floor. It was then that he opened the door of the premises to the defendant, who entered and began kicking the prone woman and lashing out at her with the weapon.

Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how she was subsequently arrested on Church Street on September 18 in possession of one half of a pair of nail scissors and a quantity of spice. Lee, who was said to have had unspecified "difficulties" with Ms Edwards previously, has 12 prior convictions for 15 offences and last appeared in court when she was fined for possession of cannabis in July this year.

Her criminal record also shows entries for threatening behaviour in 2010 and possession of a bladed article in a public place in 2020. The latter came after a member of the public flagged down a passing police car to report concerns for a woman who had been seen inside Potter's Barn Park in Waterloo "distressed and in possession of a knife".

John Rowan, defending, told the court: "This is an offence which is by far the most serious offence the defendant has come to be before the courts for. She has had a number of convictions which are common in the circumstances Ms Lee has found herself in over the years.

"Ms Lee has had perhaps a very tragic life up to now with significant traumatic events when she was a child, being exposed to alcohol and drugs from an early age. She started binge drinking when she was 12 years of age.

"Clearly those who should have been protecting Ms Lee when she was a child were not doing their jobs properly. While one cannot blame their childhood for serious offences such as this, it is background that the court can have proper regard to.

"Notwithstanding a disjointed and sporadic education, in her early adult years she was able to hold down jobs. At times, she has been able to combat her drugs issues, mental health issues and physical issues. But Ms Lee has been, at times, a vulnerable woman, especially when it comes to relationships and violence being perpetuated upon her.

"She is a mother-of-seven, two of whom are adults. The remainder are still under the age of 18, none of whom are in her care. All of her younger children were taken into the care system at a much earlier age.

"Her lifestyle has been blighted by mental health issues, substance abuse and violence towards her. The court is aware that there have been suicide attempts and concerns over self harm.

"She was running a catering van and she was doing well. She was a member of the community. It appears that her mental health problems and substance misuse reared their head again, unfortunately.

"She fell back into drink and class A drug addiction and has been street homeless for the past four years. The court is aware that she had been associating with individuals, perhaps not the type of individuals Ms Lee should have been associating with.

"She describes feeling shocked at her behaviour. She describes not believing it was her and looking at a completely different person. She wants it known that acting in a violent way and subjecting other human beings to that which she clearly attempted to subject another human being to is not part of her character."

When Judge Katherine Pierpoint pointed out at that Lee had told the author of a pre-sentence report that she was "not sorry at all for what she did", Mr Rowan added: "She regrets her actions, but it does not appear that she has remorse for her victim. It appears that her focus is on what the victim did to her, rather than what she did.

"She is sorry for coming before the court. I think she is sorry for the position she is in. Ms Lee is aware how wrong what she did is. She describes simply snapping when she saw this victim.

"She tells me that she has not had drugs now for the two months she has been in custody. She simply hopes that, upon her eventual release back into the community, she is able to learn a lesson from that which happened in September this year and hopes that she can get back to being somebody who is willing to engage with services and improve her life."

Lee admitted attempting to inflict grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Appearing via video link to HMP Styal, she sat wiping tears way throughout the hearing before being jailed for three years and nine months.

Sentencing, Judge Katherine Pierpoint said: "You launched what can only be described as a frenzied attack on a woman who was lying there defenceless on the floor. It was a persistent attack. One can see some 20 individual stab blows towards her body, and also a number of kicks.

"It is a great shame to find before these courts a woman of this age facing such a serious offence of violence. It is something which is out of character for you, looking at your antecedent history. You have been before the courts before, but not for offences of violence.

"I accept that you have a very sad and traumatic background. You have had a number of obstacles which you have had to deal with. Despite that, you have shown that you are able to hold down jobs.

"But, over the last four years or so, you have been on and off homeless. That has led to a downward spiral in your mental health and your use of drugs and alcohol.

"As a result of previous matters which occurred between the two of you, you saw her and snapped and lost it. This was, to some extent, a revenge attack because of what you believed she had done to you previously.

"I hope you understand that, whatever you felt this person may have done to you before and whether that was right or wrong, it does not justify in any way someone being physically attacked. I hope it is right that you are shocked when you have seen in the cold light of day how you behaved on that footage, and I hope it is right that you will never behave in that way again."