Horror injuries suffered by teen who was glassed and strangled by her boyfriend in New Year’s Eve row
Thug caged after horrific attack which left teen afraid to leave the house
A TEENAGER needed 54 stitches after her boyfriend brutally glassed and strangled her in a New Year's Eve row.
Chloe Parkes, 18, spent four days in hospital after then-partner Adam Kopicka, 28, smashed a glass into her face, hands, arms, head outside before strangling her and biting her fingers outside a pub shortly after midnight on January 1 this year.
Terrified Chloe, from Radcliffe, Gtr Manchester, said she still has nightmares about the frenzied attack and said doctors have told her she may never get the feeling back in her left hand due to nerve damage.
Kopicka, of Floral Court, Salford, was jailed for nine-and-a-half years in prison yesterday at Bolton Crown Court.
Chloe said: "At first I didn't go out – even though I know he is in jail I worry he could be there, but now I can finally go out with my mum because I feel safe again.
"I still have nightmares about that night.
"I worried about what he would do but I never thought he would attack me with a glass.
"I thought he was trying to kill me – I worried I would die.
"I would tell anyone in a similar situation to be careful and not stay in the relationship – get out of the relationship.
"Once a guy lays a finger on you, you should just walk away."
Chloe and Kopicka got together in June 2014 when Chloe was aged just 16 after meeting through her mum, 43-year-old Louise Parkes, and were a couple for two and a half years.
On New Year's Eve last year, the couple were out with family in the Wilton Arms pub in Radcliffe but began arguing when they went outside at around 12.20am on New Year's Day.
Kopicka turned on Chloe, snatching a broken glass and wielding it at her throat while threatening to kill her before smashing the weapon against her arms and face.
The thug then dragged her across the road, pulled her hair, smashed the glass on the back of her head three times, strangled her and bit her fingers in the horrific attack before running away.
Chloe was rushed to Salford Royal Hospital before being transferred to a specialist plastic surgery unit in Wythenshawe Hospital and was hospitalised for four days in total.
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The 18-year-old suffered wounds to her right arm, to two fingers on her right hand, her left wrist, the finger and thumb of her left hand, the back of her head and her left ear and needed 54 stitches.
Chloe has been unable to work or study due to her injuries but hopes to return to college in September to study childcare.
Chloe said:"We were really happy at first. He would buy me gifts, he was charming.
"On New Year's Eve he was fine at the beginning of the night but we went outside and had an argument and it just escalated from there.
"First he got me by my hair and he was pulling my hair.
"He smashed the glass that was in my hand, picked it up and started cutting all my arms with it.
"He went to my head and then went to my throat.
"Then he threw me on the floor and left me. He ran off because he heard a family friend shout me to see if I was ok. I didn't see him after that.
"I screamed and people came running out of the pub.
"Doctors have told me I will never get the feeling back in my left hand because the nerves and tendons in my wrist are too damaged, and I still get pain in my hand and wrist.
"My mum is just so upset something like this happened to her daughter."
Kopicka, who has previous convictions for assault and battery dating back to 2003, initially denied section 18 wounding with intent, but changed his plea to guilty on the day his trial was due to start this June.
Martin Callery, prosecuting, told the court how Kopicka shouted at Chloe while dragging her across the pub car park: "Come with me now. I want to talk to you before I kill you."
But David Farley, defending, said Kopicka had no recollection of the attack and had called at Louise Parkes' home the following morning to ask how Chloe was, before going to a police station and being interviewed.
Sentencing Kopicka, Judge Timothy Stead said: "On New Year's Eve you were required to leave a public house as a result of your conduct.
"Outside, your girlfriend went to express her disappointment but your response was aggressive.
"You grabbed her, pulled her towards the park, picked up a broken glass, and pointed it at her throat saying you wanted to talk to her before you killed her.
"You ignored requests to leave her alone before striking her the forearm and face using the weapon. You dragged her across the road, pulled her by the hair and smashed the glass on the back of her head three times.
"You held her by the throat, strangling her, and bit her fingers. It follows that what you did was a sustained attack upon Chloe Parkes.
"She lost some sensation and movement to her fingers. There was scarring and her sleep has been affected. These injuries are unpleasant and the effects have been unpleasant.
"The fact you used a weapon gives rise to a high level of culpability.
"You say you have no particular recollection of events themselves and I take that at face value.
"In these circumstances it takes courage to plead guilty to offences with a lack of recollection."
Earlier in the sentencing hearing, Kopicka had tried to change his guilty plea back, but the judge refused.
As the judge passed sentence, Kopicka shouted from the dock: "You sit there all big in that chair. You say these are facts but you're just assuming. Why didn't you take DNA?"
After the sentencing, Chloe said: "I am happy with the sentence, I was expecting shorter so I am very happy he has got a long time."
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