A WOMAN opened her door to be confronted by a thief who smashed her in the face with a wine bottle.

Rebecca Jackson was left with a two inch gash across her forehead in the assault at her flat.

At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court her attacker, 33-year-old Amy Hollinworth, who has already spent seven months in custody awaiting sentencing, was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

Judge Graeme Smith also ordered mum-of-three Hollinworth to undertake nine months of drug rehabilitation and participate in 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

In a hearing held over Skype video conferencing, Joe Boyd, prosecuting, told how Hollinworth and John Walmsley had been in Miss Jackson’s flat at 4am on September 20 last year before leaving.

“Mr Walmsley had broken a window and there was considerable shouting outside,” said Mr Boyd, who added that a warrant for Walmsley's arrest is still outstanding.

At 3.30pm Miss Jackson and her partner, Stuart Dewhurst were in her Sefton Court flat when they heard a door bang.

“Miss Jackson thought it was her daughter who had returned,” said Mr Boyd.

But when she opened the door she saw both defendants stood in the corridor of the flat.

"Miss Hollinworth was holding a wine bottle and John Walmsley was holding what looked like a 12 inch machete," said Mr Boyd.

"Miss Jackson said that at that point Hollinworth just hit her in the head with the wine bottle, causing a gash on her head which later needed gluing at hospital."

The wound was said to be two inches long in Miss Jackson's hairline.

Walmsley was then said to have started waving the machete around and demanding money.

"Hollinworth then grabbed the mobile phone of Mr Dewhurst and both ran from the scene," said Mr Boyd, adding that she also took the bottle, which was not broken, with her.

After her arrest Hollinworth initially claimed that she had gone to an upstairs flat and had not been Miss Jackson's home when she was attacked.

But she later pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm, affray and theft.

In a victim statement Miss Jackson told the court: "This has caused me to be very scared. I have lost a lot of sleep."

At the time of the offence Hollinworth, who has previous convictions, was subject to a suspended prison sentence for burglary.

Adam Roxborough, defending, stressed that the attack on Miss Jackson was an isolated incident and involved only a single blow.

"Since the commission of this offence there has been a determined effort to address an addictive state," he said.

He appealed to the judge to give her a suspended sentence so she can work with organisations to address her problems rather than spend just a few more weeks in prison.

"She has had a difficult life," he said, adding that she was introduced to Class A drugs by a former partner.

"She has made some poor choices."

But he said she is now drug free and is anxious to build on what she had achieved while in custody.

Sentencing Hollinworth, Judge Smith said: "In terms of this offence, I don't know what it was that led up to it but I accept that it was a one off incident although it did lead to a significant injury to Miss Jackson."