THE trial of a mother accused of blinding a woman in one eye was dramatically halted after it was established that she had been wrongly identified.

Hayley Rand was accused of kicking out at Katrina Coucill during a fight at Ye Olde Three Crowns, Farnworth, striking her in the eye with a stiletto shoe.

On Monday, a jury was told how damage to Miss Coucill's left eye was so severe that surgeons could not save it.

But in a dramatic development, the main prosecution witness, barman Kieran Torkington, told the court that he had pulled two women away from Miss Coucill during the fight, the second of whom had kicked the victim.

Enhanced CCTV shown in court revealed that Mrs Rand was the first woman Mr Torkington pulled away.

The police and Crown Prosecution Service will now be 'reviewing' the case. 

The judge, Recorder Guy Mathieson, said it was clear that the defendant had not caused the injury and instructed the jury to find Mrs Rand not guilty.

Speaking after the case finished Mrs Rand spoke of her relief.

She said: "It has been awful. I have known from day one that I did not do this. It has absolutely broken my family and my friends."

Mrs Rand, aged 29, of James Street, Kearsley, got married in May 2014, three months before the pub assault, but she says the prosecution has overshadowed her life ever since.

"It has affected us. I feel we haven't been able to start married life because this has been hanging over us," she said.

"I can't understand why the police and prosecution did not sit down before and realise I did not do it."

The court was told that the prosecution had access to the enhanced CCTV for almost a year.

Mrs Rand, who gave birth to a son two months ago, had been for a bank holiday day out with friends on August 24, 2014, when they ended up in the Three Crowns.

She remembers a fight with Miss Coucill but did not see who injured her.

"I never, for one moment, thought that I would be arrested for GBH, she said. "I have never been in trouble before. It was horrible, just absolutely horrible."

Mrs Rand has not been back to the pub since the incident.

"I'll never step foot in there again. I don't want to put myself in that position again," she said.

Hearing the 'not guilty' verdict being returned was 'liberating,' she said, and thanked her family and friends for their support.

"I just want to put it all behind me and get on with my life," said Mrs Rand.

A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police said: "In light of the decision in court today, we will now be reviewing the case with the Crown Prosecution Service."

In a statement the Crown Prosecution service added: “We reviewed all the evidence provided by the police following this incident, and after taking into account the witness statements, the police report, CCTV and the defendant’s interview we were satisfied that there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Hayley Rand with grievous bodily harm for causing the injury.

"However, it became evident during cross examination in the trial that the evidence about the identity of the person who had inflicted the eye injury was no longer clear and it was therefore right that the judge directed the jury to acquit the defendant at that stage.”