TWO teenage girls lay in wait outside a St Helens nightclub before exacting violent revenge on a young woman and her auntie who had bumped into them on the dancefloor, a court heard.

Courtney Smith and Rhiannon Sweeney, both now 21, carried out the attack outside the rear door of Empire nightclub in St Helens town centre in the early hours of October 27, 2019.

Both defendants were convicted by a jury after a trial on February 7 at Liverpool Crown Court.

Smith, of Elmfield Close, Thatto Heath, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm without intent (Section 20) on victim Jeanette Wills.

Meanwhile, Sweeney, of Princess Drive, Liverpool, was convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm on Ms Wills’ niece, Jorden Pilkington.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how a "collision" had taken place between the groups inside the club at around 2.45am resulting in a "flare up" that led to Smith and Sweeney, who were both aged 19 at the time, being ejected by a doorman.

CCTV showed the pair waiting outside the club for around 17 minutes before they approached their victims at the rear entrance where they launched a vicious assault

Sweeney’s assault involved “several blows” and “kicks” with a “shod foot” and Ms Pilkington was “knocked unconscious” and “suffered bruising” from “trying to defend herself”.

Smith’s assault on Ms Wills caused “physical harm” and the court heard she has suffered from “hearing loss” from the attack due to a burst eardrum. 

Defending Sweeney, Jo Maxwell said her client feels “remorse” and “has always been sorry that the incident occurred but believes she was acting in self defence”.

Adding that Sweeney is a carer for a “dependent relative”, she asked the judge to suspend any sentence he passed on her.

Meanwhile, Claire Jones, defending Smith, said her client is of “prior good character” and the attack was “out of character”. She said prison “would be extremely harmful to her given her mental health issues”.

The court heard victim personal statements made by both victims of the attack.

In Ms Pilkington’s statement it was said she had worked as a “swimming teacher” and had to give up her job due to the effects of the assault.

She added she had been “a fun-loving person” who was “very active and sporty” and “loved going out with friends” but “the attack changed that”.

“I was knocked unconscious and my hand had swelling as it had been stood on. I was taken to hospital for trauma to my head and treated for concussion”.

Ms Pilkington, now 21, says that after the attack “I just wanted to stay in bed all the time, this has had a massive impact on my social life”.

She said: “I feel my life has become a ‘what if’ life” and said “it’s crippling”.

 “I feel pathetic, I feel embarrassed and vulnerable”," she added, describing herself as feeling “a shell of the person I was”.

She added: “I’ve been robbed of what should have been years of my life” and “I hope this case can be put behind me and I can recover from the trauma.”

A statement by Ms Wills, 41, said the attack “has had a profoundly negative effect” on her life.

She was left with a “perforated eardrum” and still suffers from “muffled” hearing

"It’s something I have to live with," she added.

Passing sentence following a trial at which both women were found guilty, Judge Brian Cummings QC, described the incident that led to the attack as "just the sort of accident that is frequent in a busy club".

Addressing the pair, Judge Cummings, said: "You were aggrieved at having been ejected and you were intent on getting back at them.

"You were heard shouting, 'I'm not going to leave it' and 'get out here'"

He described the defendent's claims that they had been provoked as an "absurd distortion of the truth".

"There was no provocation or need for self defence," he said. "In fact you (Smith) were heard to say 'I've just banged her mum' referring to Ms Wills. 

"Ms Wills was not even the person you had beef with and yet you chose to launch a vicious attack on her and left the scene crowing about it."

"I cannot accept that either of you have shown any true remorse."

Smith was handed a 12 month prison sentence with Sweeney receiving a nine month jail term suspended for two years.