A STOURBRIDGE woman was left fearing she might be disfigured for life after she was savagely attacked by a couple inside Dudley's Castle Casino.

Charlotte Wiggan had to have 23 stitches inserted into a mouth wound and had to undergo skin grafts and major dental surgery.

Judge Nicholas Cartwright at Wolverhampton Crown Court said she had been the victim of a "sustained and repeated" assault in which she was punched and kicked about the face.

The judge said the blows caused very serious injuries to her mouth - adding, "The best hope is that her teeth survive but their life span has been greatly reduced."

There had been problems between 28-year-old Santosh White and his pregnant partner Abigail Proudlock regarding Miss Wiggan - David Bennett, prosecuting, said.

He told the court there was a heated argument when the pair came across her inside the casino and she was punched by White.

Proudlock then pulled her hair and grabbed her by the neck - pulling her to the floor where she was struck by a number of blows before being brutally kicked by White.

The victim suffered a fractured bone in her mouth, said Mr Bennett, and in a victim impact statement she told police officers she had been left "devastated" by the attack.

Miss Wiggan said she was anxious when she was out of the house, she struggled to sleep and she had to endure a great deal of pain.

White and 25-year-old Proudlock - who is now pregnant with White's child - both admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Proudlock, a woman of previous good character, was given a 13-month jail term suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 100 hours unpaid work in the community.

She was also told she must pay Miss Wiggan £1,500 compensation for her injury, together with £700 costs.

White, whose previous convictions included robbery and possession of an imitation firearm, was jailed for 33 months.

The judge told the pair, of Norton Street, Winson Green, it was clear it was a joint attack inside the casino when there were other members of the public present.

The court was told Proudlock had not known White would lash out with a kick and she had been appalled by the injury caused to Miss Wiggan.

White had downed far too much alcohol and "it got the better of him". He then reacted badly after the argument with the victim.