A terrified mother feared she had been disfigured with acid after she was squirted in the face during a "petty" parking feud with her neighbour.
The woman was going shopping with her six-year-old son when she was hit with a blue liquid after clashing with neighbour, Kim Marshall, over her car being blocked in outside her home in Stockport.
During the incident Marshall, 41, who was reportedly drunk at 9am was waving her arms about and shouting: ''Who do you think you are talking to?’' before squirting the mystery substance from a plastic bottle over the victim's face, hands and clothing.
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She began to suffer a bad reaction to the substance and was admitted to hospital for treatment, Tameside Magistrates Court heard. The type of substance thrown in her face is not known.
She told police: "This incident has terrified me not only for myself but for my young son who was also scared. This happened so close to my address, somewhere I should feel safe. Now I am thinking of moving. I was in genuine fear for my life. I had no idea what the substance was and what effect it could have on me.
"I suffer from anxiety. This incident will have a detrimental effect on that, having seen this female regularly and the stress of not knowing what the substance was that was sprayed on me."
Marshall, from Offerton, Stockport, was ordered to pay the victim £250 compensation after she was convicted of common assault an an earlier hearing. She admitted unrelated charges possession of an offensive weapon said to be a knuckleduster blade.
Miss Shazia Aslam, prosecuting, said: "The victim has resided at her address for two and half years and has had issues with the defendant, who is a neighbour who lives across the road.
"The matters started one-and-a-half years ago in the summer of 2020 says the abuse began around the parking space outside her address, which she says has been allocated to her. She has a son who is disabled.
"She politely asked the defendant's partner to move their car a bit just so that she could fit her vehicle in that space next to it but things then became very petty and he would always try to block her vehicle.
"The victim always found it difficult to park in the space as they were using too much of the space so that her vehicle could not fit in. There was then a petty argument with name calling and swearing from the defendant."
Speaking about how the victim felt after the attack, Miss Aslam said: "She had no idea what was in the bottle and was worried that it was some sort of acid.
"She ran to her car, while the defendant walked back to the flat. The complainant got out of the car and called for help. She was worried for the safety of her son. The complainant did attend hospital as she had a reaction to the liquid that was sprayed.
"The defendant was then arrested for the offence. Upon a search of the defendant she was found in possession of a pendant with a knuckle duster with a blade on it. That was on her neck. She was subsequently arrested for that offence too."
Marshall had 28 offences on her record, the most recent being from 2011 for possession of class A drugs.
Defence solicitor Rebecca Clarke. Miss Clarke told the court: ''She still maintains her innocence about the assault and does not accept responsibility. She intends to appeal that conviction but fully appreciates that she has been found guilty by the court.
''There is nothing of a similar nature on her record for 20 years. She has some significant issues with regard to support for her mental health and drug issues and her partner is registered as her carer."
Marshall was also fined £100 fine and made subject of a 12-month community order with requirements she complies with six months of drug rehabilitation and 20 days of rehabilitation activity.
She was told to attend the Women’s Problem Solving Court and pay £295 in costs and a victim surcharge. She was banned from contacting her neighbour for a year under the terms of a restraining order.
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