Woman 'stabbed boyfriend's eye with heel'

Bradford Crown Court heard that Staci Hargreaves, 33, was in the back of a cab when she kicked Gavin Taylor, 28, after he turned round in the front seat.

David McGonigal, prosecuting, said Hargreaves was wearing 3in (7.6cm) high stiletto heels, one of which caused her boyfriend serious injuries.

He said: "The heel of one shoe went through the left eye of Mr Gavin Taylor and fractured the socket and entered his brain and caused a blood vessel to burst."

Mr McGonigal said Mr Taylor began coughing up blood and slumped into unconsciousness.

He was taken to hospital where his condition initially deteriorated before he eventually made a "surprising" recovery, the jury heard.

Mr McGonigal said Mr Taylor was taken to hospital in Huddersfield and transferred to a specialist unit in Leeds, undergoing two operations and lying in hospital for a month.

The prosecutor said the incident happened after the couple had been out drinking in Huddersfield with another couple in the early hours of February 7, and all of them had drunk a substantial amount.

The other woman in the group was arrested for a public order offence after an argument with another taxi driver, the jury heard.

Hargreaves, of Stalybridge, Manchester, denies causing grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm.