A mum felt physically sick when she realised her face had been slashed open by a machete-wielding boy.
Zakiya Janny suffered disgusting racist abuse and then a savage assault at the hands of 15-year-old Kurtis Williams.
The vicious attack took place in front of her four-year-old daughter and other children out playing in an Anfield street.
READ MORE: Boy's cowardly knife attack on teens captured on CCTV
Williams, now 16, was locked up for eight years on Friday, when Zakiya outlined the devastating impact of her ordeal.
She is now being supported by anti-racism charity the Anthony Walker Foundation, which condemned the "abhorrent" incident.
Williams repeatedly used the N-word as he made vile threats to harm Zakiya's ex-partner Francis O'Malley and their little girl in Scorton Street.
Liverpool Crown Court heard he then returned on a bike with a machete, while allegedly being "encouraged" by his own mum.
Zakiya stood between him and her former boyfriend, only for Williams to slash the 36-year-old's face, inflicting a 13cm wound.
Simon Duncan, prosecuting, described the horror endured by Zakiya - who like Mr O'Malley is of mixed race - at around 7.15pm on April 13 this year.
Mr Duncan said: "She was petrified and scared for her life at the time. The incident was so sudden, she was unable to defend herself. She thought she was going to die.
"She felt physically sick when she realised just how serious the injury was. She was concerned that she would have to explain the injury to her daughter, and about the impact on her."
He said Zakiya outlined in one victim statement made in May how she worried about going to work and having to tell colleagues about her injury, about people in the street staring at her, and about youths passing by on bikes.
She suffered panic attacks and had to be prescribed medication for anxiety, to help her sleep and to cope with the ongoing pain.
Mr Duncan said the victim made a second statement earlier this month, in which she revealed she had to take up an office job "which wasn't something she ever wanted to do, but she is too scared to be out and about in the community".
He said she had worked as a housing officer, adding: "This was something as she put it she 'loved and had done for 16 years'."
Mr Duncan said: "The scar has left her with embarrassment. She feels if anyone sees it they're staring at her. It's still painful and even the lightest of touches hurts."
He added: "She at the time of writing had an appointment for counselling with the Anthony Walker Foundation as it was a hate crime."
Zakiya now avoids public transport and takes taxis instead, but the cost of this means she doesn't get to see family and friends as often and doesn't have the money for important things.
Mr Duncan said: "She concluded by saying her quality of life is now non-existent - she is now just going to work, coming home and doing essential shopping.
"Her daughter has picked up on her anxiety and she is even having to change her daughter's school."
He quoted Zakiya, who said: "A 15-year-old boy has destroyed the stability of my life.
"I have worked to get a good life for myself and my daughter and on a whim he took that away."
Williams admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possessing a knife in public on the opening day of a trial.
The convicted cannabis dealer, of Rossett Street, Anfield, accepted his attack was motivated by "racial prejudice".
The ECHO spoke to former police officer John Williams - the first black detective chief inspector in Merseyside Police - who now works as a hate crime lead for the Anthony Walker Foundation (AWF).
He said: "People are not born hating others, so sadly, hate is a learned behaviour, and what occurred on April 13, was an abhorrent example of hate.
"At AWF, we aspire to reduce the prevalence of such offences through education and empowerment of people within the Merseyside community.
"We also work tirelessly to support victims of racial hate crimes, and never underestimate the pernicious effect that incidents such as these will have on the victims and their family.
"I spoke to Zakiya and she is still dealing with the after effects of this crime.
"She was targeted because she did what any mother would have done, protect her four-year-old child.
"In 2021 we're talking about a youngster at 15, now 16-years-old, who should be more informed. Society is more informed about discriminatory behaviour.
"The level and the ferocity of the attack has affected not only his victim, but her young child and all who were in the vicinity.
"This was a cowardly attack and the sentencing and lifting of restrictions should be a timely reminder that hate has no place in our society.
"Victims of hate should not suffer in silence and we would always encourage them to report hate crimes to the police.
"They can also make contact with one of our dedicated hate crime staff by using our SPEAKOUTSTOPHATE.COM website."
The foundation was set up to tackle racism, hate crime and other forms of discrimination in memory of Anthony Walker, 18, who was murdered in an unprovoked, racist attack in Huyton in 2005.
The charity has since helped to support thousands of victims and delivered educational projects to tens of thousands.
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