A zookeeper in charge of meerkats has been ordered to pay £800 in compensation to one in charge of monkeys after glassing her over the affections of a llama-keeper, a court has heard.
Caroline Westlake, who worked in the meerkat area of London Zoo, allegedly assaulted Kate Sanders, who worked with spider monkeys, at a Christmas party.
Westminster magistrates' court heard on Friday that the row started over Adam Davies, a llama-keeper who had been dating Sanders for five years but had recently begun a relationship with Westlake, The Guardian reported.
The staff party, on 8 December last year, was the first time Sanders had seen the couple together and after she made a comment about Westlake's appearance, a fight broke out in which Westlake struck Sanders' face with a wine glass, cutting her cheek.
According to The Guardian, Sanders told the court: "I told her I'd seen a text she sent him asking him out for a drink while we were still dating and the next thing I know I was hit in the face with something very hard.
"I was hit on the left cheek and from the feeling it was a glass and had come from a low position. I was extremely shocked when it hit me. I tried to protect myself by reaching out my right hand and pushing her against the nearest thing to me, which was some railings."
Westlake's solicitor alleged that in fact Sanders had started the fight, which Sanders denies.
Westlake was fired after four and half years over the incident, while Sanders was given a final warning and banned from zoo events for two years.
Westlake, 30, denies one count of assault by beating. The trial continues next week.
Update
Caroline Westlake was found guilty of assault late on Friday 25 September and will be sentenced on 14 October.
She denies the charge and will be appealing.
UPDATE
Caroline Westlake was ordered by Westminster magistrates' court on Wednesday to pay £800 in compensation to Sanders and £200 in court charges, The Guardian reported. She was also sentenced to 12 months community service.
As Westlake cried in the dock, district judge Jeremy Coleman said the 30-year-old zookeeper was lucky not to have been convicted of a more serious charge over the glassing.
He said: "It’s an unpleasant injury to someone’s face which makes it rather worse. It was caused by a glass so an object was used so really a more serious charge against you could easily have been justified.”
CORRECTION
The person found guilty of assault was Caroline Westlake. A previous version of this post mistakenly named someone else as the guilty party in one instance.