Woman, 18, in court over knife attack on Telford taxi driver
A teenager appeared in court today to face charges after a taxi driver was cut in a knife attack in Telford.
Chloe Louise Watts, 18, of Sutton Hill, Telford did not enter a plea at Shrewsbury Crown Court.
She and a 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were originally charged with attempted murder.
They were arrested following an attack in Mossey Green, Ketley Bank, after which a taxi driver in his 40s needed 11 stitches to his hand.
But today Watts faced lesser charges of attempted robbery, wounding and possession of a blade in a public place.
Her co-defendant appeared at the same court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and possessing the knife.
He pleaded not guilty to attempted robbery and the crown prosecution service dropped the charge.
Watts' case was adjourned until Friday, July 25 for the crown to add a charge of assisting an offender.
Wearing a grey jumper, a long white crucifix necklace and her dyed pink hair in a bun, Watts spoke only to confirm her name.
She wept when she was granted bail, having been in prison since May 14 when Telford Magistrates charged her and the boy with attempted murder and remanded them into custody.
Judge Simon Tonking said: "She has no previous convictions, she was not in control of the knife and in the circumstances she is likely to face lesser charges."
He said after the prison service failed to send Watts to join her co-defendant in court in Monday, she was more likely to appear at the next hearing if she was given bail.
Judge Tonking said he would be sitting at Stafford Crown Court next week where he expected to receive an explanation from the prison governor as to why Watts was not sent to court on Monday.
"If I do not hear from the governor I will regard this as a contempt of court," he said.
"This is not a reflection on the Crown Prosecution Service or the defendant," he added.
The conditions of Watts' bail were that she must live at her mother's address in Stonedale, Sutton Hill.
She must not contact her co-accused or any prosecution witnesses and she must report to Malinsgate Police Station daily.
