Lavinia Woodward, Oxford University slasher spared jail for being ‘clever’ moans she can’t go out to a nightclub without being recognised as she walks free
AN Oxford University student dubbed "too clever to go to prison" has walked free for stabbing her ex-boyfriend in a drug-fuelled frenzy - but moaned she can't go clubbing without being recognised.
Aspiring heart surgeon Lavinia Woodward ran out of court with a big smile on her face today after being handed a suspended sentence.
She appeared in the glass-panelled dock before the judge at Oxford Crown Court wearing a black suit and white blouse.
Flanked by a female security guard, she wept and dabbed her eyes with a tissue as the judge sentenced her to ten-months in prison, suspended for 18 months.
James Sturman QC, defending, urged the judge to give Woodward a conditional discharge due to her "unique vulnerability, remorse and good character".
He said: "She can't even go to a nightclub in London, she's so recognisable."
Judge Ian Pringle QC previously said a custodial sentence may be "too severe" because it could ruin Woodward's promising medical career, after she admitted unlawfully wounding Cambridge University student Thomas Fairclough.
The judge said today: "Fortunately the wounds your partner received were relatively minor. The two one-centimetre cuts to the fingers were treated at the scene and the cut to the leg was closed with three stitches.
You have demonstrated over the last nine months that you are determined to rid yourself of your addiction and have undergone extensive treatment and counselling.
Judge Ian Pringle QC
"At the time of the offence you were heavily under the influence of alcohol. You were old enough and intelligent enough to realise that over-indulgence would severely affect your behaviour.
"You have no previous convictions of any nature whatsoever. I find that you were genuinely remorseful following this event.
"Most significantly, you have demonstrated over the last nine months that you are determined to rid yourself of your addiction and have undergone extensive treatment and counselling.
"You have demonstrated to me a strong, unwavering determination to do so despite enormous pressure under which you were put."
The court heard Woodward broke her bail conditions by contacting Mr Fairclough to apologise for stabbing him, but the judge praised her for doing this.
He also commended her "strong and unwavering determination" to address her issues in the face of enormous public pressure.
When the judge told her she was free to go, Woodward mouthed the words "thank you" and hurried from dock in floods of tears.
Her family told her to keep her "head held high" as she left court, making no comment.
She grinned as she ran out the courtroom to celebrate her freedom.
The court heard she attempted suicide in police custody on the night of her arrest and was fired from a job she took at a shop in London 48 hours after being hired when she was recognised by a customer.
Whilst on bail she spent four-weeks in a secure drug rehabilitation centre and doctors reports confirm she has stayed clean.
In a bid to get away from scrutiny, she stayed at her family’s £1.5million villa near the city and was often seen carrying a £1,000 Chanel bag.
She spent her days browsing in shops or having her hair done.
“What you did will never, I know, leave you but it was pretty awful, and normally it would attract a custodial sentence, whether it is immediate or suspended.’’
Woodward stabbed Thomas Fairclough in the leg with a breadknife and hurled a laptop, glass and jam jar at him when they argued on September 30.
Prosecutor Cathy Olliver said Woodward met her ex, a Cambridge PhD student, on Tinder.
She said on September 30, the night of the attack, they rowed and Woodward's behaviour "deteriorated".
When Fairclough threatened to contact Woodward’s mum on Skype the 24-year-old attacked him.
Defending, James Sturman QC said his client's dreams of becoming a surgeon were "almost impossible" as her conviction would have to disclosed.
At a hearing in May, the judge hinted he would show leniency to the "extraordinary able young lady" because her actions appeared to be "a complete one-off".
At the time, Judge Ian Pringle told Woodward: "It seems to me that if this was a one-off, a complete one-off, to prevent this extraordinarily able young lady from following her long-held desire to enter the [medical] profession she wishes to would be a sentence which would be too severe."
He delayed sentence as he did not want to ruin her chances of a successful career.
Woodward was slapped with a restraining order and told to stay drug-free and not to re-offend before returning to court for sentencing today.
What Woodward was told by judge who said she was too brainy for prison
Judge Ian Pringle told Lavinia Woodward that she was unlikely to go to prison back in May.
He delayed sentencing and slapped her with a restraining order to stay drug-free and not to re-offend.
Sentencing, Judge Pringle said: "Having met a few months before, in October 2016 you began a relationship with a student from Cambridge University. Sadly, you were still suffering from the effects of a very damaging previous relationship with another who had introduced you to Class A drugs.
"On December 30, 2016, your partner paid you a visit in your accommodation in Christ Church college. It rapidly became clear to him you had been drinking. He tried to discourage your drinking without success.
"As the evening progressed, you became increasingly volatile. At one stage your partner contacted your mother over Skype in order to seek her assistance over what to do about you.
"When you discovered this you became extremely angry, starting to throw objects around. It is clear from the transcript of the 999 call that your partner summoned the help of the police before you picked up a bread knife which was in the room and struck a blow with it to his lower leg.
"In the course of the incident two of his fingers also received cuts. Your partner managed to partly restrain you, albeit you then started to turn the knife on yourself and he had to further disarm you to prevent further self-harm.
"When the emergency services arrived it was abundantly clear that you were intoxicated, deeply distraught and mentally disturbed. You were taken to the police station in a very distressed state.
"Fortunately the wounds your partner received were relatively minor. The two one-centimetre cuts to the fingers were treated at the scene and the cut to the leg was closed with three stitches.
"I say straight away that in my view this was a case of lesser harm. Whilst this was clearly a case where your behaviour must have been extremely intimidating to your partner, the actual injuries were relatively minor and certainly less serious in the context of this offence.
"However, I am also satisfied that this was a case where the offence was of higher culpability.
"Although it was simply an item which was in your room at the time, you used a bread knife in this attack as a weapon.
"At the time of the offence you were heavily under the influence of alcohol. You were old enough and intelligent enough to realise that over-indulgence would severely affect your behaviour.
"There are many, many mitigating features in your case. You have no previous convictions of any nature whatsoever. I find that you were genuinely remorseful following this event.
"Although it was against your bail conditions, you contacted your partner to fully confess your guilt and your deep sorrow for what happened.
"You had an immaturity about you which was not commensurate for someone of your age. Reports from the experts make clear you suffer from an emotionally unstable personality disorder, a severe eating disorder and alcohol drug dependence.
"Most significantly, you have demonstrated over the last nine months that you are determined to rid yourself of your addiction and have undergone extensive treatment and counselling.
"You have demonstrated to me a strong, unwavering determination to do so despite enormous pressure under which you were put."
Following the hearing, Mark Brooks, chairman of the Mankind Initiative which supports male victims of domestic abuse, said the judge’s comments would make it more difficult for men to come forward for fear of not being taken seriously.
Mr Brooks said: “The judge’s comments are completely unacceptable and out of touch. This is a clear case of severe domestic abuse against a man and the focus and sympathy should be with him.
“The judge seems to think that domestic abuse, when it is committed by a woman against a man, is not as serious as it rightly is when it is the other way round.
“This is wrong. It only serves to reinforce society’s continuing empathy gap between male and female victims and the message the judge sends is that this is right.
“It also makes it harder for men to come forward and get help because many fear not being taken seriously when they do - just because they are a man. This does nothing to change that view.”
It emerged earlier this year that Lavinia Woodward had stripped off with her Oxford pals in support of the university’s LGBTQ society.
An image showing Woodward perched on the lap of a naked man was exposed soon after a judge said he would not jail Woodward for stabbing ex-boyfriend Thomas Fairclough.
Friends said she turned "dark" and started posted the nude selfies on Facebook after getting hooked on drugs.
A former school pal told The Sun: “After she went to Oxford she turned weird. She became all dark and gothic and it was obvious she was into drugs.
“It quickly got around that she was hooked on cocaine and, in a bid to beat it, went into rehab.
“She posted naked pictures of herself on Facebook which was completely out of character for the girl I went to school with."
The court heard Woodward had a "very troubled life," battling addiction and suffering abuse by another ex".
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