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Woman bared her behind to Police, court told

In court: Wendy Ingemann is accused of glassing Tanya Darrell in the face at Splash Nightclub.

A woman was so badly injured in an apparent glass attack that part of her earlobe was nearly amputated, a plastic surgeon told Supreme Court yesterday.

Tanya Darrell was bleeding profusely from wounds to her face when she was brought into King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in the early hours of February 10 last year, according to Christopher Johnson.

Dr. Johnson said a large laceration to her right cheek had gone through her muscle, down to the bone, while she had a smaller cut to her lower right eye socket and several smaller puncture wounds in the right cheek area.

In another injury on the other side of her face, she suffered a nine-centimetre wound behind her left ear and the lobe of the ear was "nearly amputated", said Dr. Johnson.

Wendy Ingemann, 37, of Wellington Slip Road, St. George's, is on trial accused of striking Ms Darrell in the face and behind the ear with a glass goblet in Splash nightclub.

Called as an expert prosecution witness on day four of the trial yesterday, Dr. Johnson told the court about the cut on the victim's right cheek: "It's a laceration, probably generated by a sharp object. There probably is a stabbing component to it. There's a sharp pointed aspect to it, where it went so deep in a small area, down to the bone."

After being shown the alleged weapon by prosecutor Robert Welling, Dr. Johnson continued: "Quite reasonably, I could say it could be consistent that this object could have been used to create this wounding."

Referring to the wound behind the left ear, Dr. Johnson said: "The pointed edges, in an arcing, striking motion, could create that wounding pattern."

Asked by Mr. Welling whether it was possible both injuries were sustained in one action, he replied: "It would be hard to postulate one action that would cause you to be wounded on the right cheek and behind your left ear.

"It would be very difficult. Maybe a lion with a very large mouth. I don't think we have lions in Bermuda."

Dr. Johnson said he cleansed both wounds before sealing them up.

Earlier yesterday, the court heard from DNA analyst Candy Zuleger, who said blood on Ingemann's shawl matched Ms Darrell's DNA; and blood on the shawl and broken glass matched Ingemann's DNA.

Further evidence came from P.c. Francine Hodgson, the female jailer who carried out a search on Ingemann shortly after her arrest.

P.c. Hodgson said the defendant had behaved aggressively and used "a lot of profane language".

The Police officer told the court: "I can't recall everything she was saying, but her demeanour was still very angry. She acted in a very hostile manner.

"I recall her pulling down her jeans and sticking out her buttocks at me."

Mr. Welling asked: "Did you ask her to do that."

"No," replied P.c. Hodgson, "I did not."

The officer continued by saying she saw blood in Ingemann's hair and then searched her head for a wound, but was unable to find any.

Under cross-examination, P.c. Hodgson denied defence solicitor Elizabeth Christopher's suggestion that Ingemann had a head injury and asked for medical treatment.

Another witness, P.c. Hodgson's supervisor Sgt. Carl Gibbons, told the court Ingemann had verbally abused him but that he did not take it personally.

Ingemann denies assaulting Ms Darrell with intent to cause her grievous bodily harm. She further denies following Ms Darrell's friend Deniqua outside the club into Bermudiana Road and threatening her with the glass before violently resisting arrest. The case continues.