A jilted wife is accused of throwing a kettle of boiling water over her husband’s new lover after walking in on the couple in her marital home.
Monika Fourie, 34, is alleged to have seen red and doused Hannah Stokes with scolding water from a cup and a kettle, covering her head, neck and chest.
Miss Stokes was left with ‘terrible burns’ as a result of the incident ,which happened after she began an affair with Fourie’s Royal Marine husband Walter, a few weeks before.
Fourie unexpectedly walked in on the pair at her home in Plymouth, Devon, as they sat in the lounge.
She said she was going to make some tea – but poured water from a cup over blonde Miss Stokes, Plymouth Crown Court heard.
Fourie then emptied the remaining water from the kettle over her, a jury was told.
She denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Miss Stokes in October 2015 – but has admitted the alternative charge of causing GBH without intent.
Prosecutor Miss Jo Martin said Miss Stokes was treated for second degree partial thickness burns down to her navel and had surgery for a perforated eardrum.
There was no dispute that Fourie had poured the water over her rival causing serious injury, she told the court.
But she said the issue was whether she intended to cause serious harm.
The Crown said blonde haired Fourie and her South African husband, who have a daughter together, were having marital problems.
And in September 2015 he began an affair with Miss Stokes – and he later told Fourie about the new relationship believing their marriage was over.
The court heard Fourie took that news calmly and they discussed money and childcare.
On the day of the attack, Fourie was ‘eerily calm’ as she walked into the house and asked her husband to introduce them.
Fourie asked her rival how old she was and if she had children and asked her husband to go upstairs.
Miss Martin said: ‘Mrs Fourie approached Miss Stokes with a cup of tea. Miss Stokes presumed it was a cup of tea. It was not.
‘It was boiling water and Monika Fourie threw it over her neck and chest area.
‘She started to scream with pain and instinctively moved to the corner of the room where she felt, rightly or wrongly, that she was trapped.’
The jury was told Mr Fourie came downstairs to see his wife walk over with the kettle and pour boiling water over Miss Stokes.
She then poured the water over her head and chest, the court was told.
Miss Stokes ran from the front of the house but Fourie chased her and pulled her hair.
Miss Martin told the jury: ‘Monika Fourie maintains that she has no memory of the events of that night.’
The judge told that jury that Fourie was suffering from anxiety and depression and she was allowed to sit in the well of the court rather than the dock.
The trial continues.