Mum reveals how 'wild animal' cousin broke her neck with police baton

Mother-of-four, 33, reveals how her ‘wild animal’ cousin broke her neck with police baton at family gathering to remember loved ones who died during the Covid pandemic

• Stacie Bastable, from Kidderminster, was left with a broken neck and PTSD
• Her cousin Reece Cooper attacked her out of nowhere at family gathering
• He was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to a number of offences

A woman has spoken of her horror after being beaten with a police baton by her cousin at a family gathering to remember two relatives who died during the pandemic.

Stacie Bastable, 33, was left with a broken neck and is still suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after the ‘appalling’ attack by Reece Cooper in April last year.

The then 18-year-old turned up at the family event in Wolverhampton with alcohol and armed with an extendable baton, which he used to hit his cousin and two other women, including Miss Bastable’s daughter.

He initially denied the offences, but then pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm, possession of an offensive weapon, and two offences of assault by beating, and was jailed for three years this week, the Express and Star reports.

Stacie Bastable was left with a broken neck and is still suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after the ‘appalling’ attack by Reece Cooper in April last year

Miss Bastable suffered fractures as a result of the assault and was fitted with a special halo neck brace to help recover from her injuries

Miss Bastable, from Kidderminster, suffered fractures as a result of the assault and was fitted with a special halo neck brace for nine weeks to help recover from her injuries.

But she has also suffered from PTSD, and has had to leave her job as a civil servant – the first time she has not had work since she was a teenager.

The mother-of-four told MailOnline of the impact the attack, which she said was completely unprovoked and came out of nowhere.

She said: ‘He was like a wild animal. I knew straight away my neck was broken as I had to hold my head up with my hands.

‘It’s totally changed my personality, I used to go to the gym every day after work but now I really struggle to go.

‘I can’t face the prospect of going back to anything at the moment, I just know I’m not ready mentally.

‘I panic over silly little things, like walking down the stairs, conscious that I might trip and break my neck again. I’m constantly on alert mode.

‘Even when my daughter’s hugging me, I panic that it will be too tight and hurt me.

Reece Cooper initially denied the offences, but then pleaded guilty ahead of a jury trial and was jailed for three years this week, the Express and Star reports

‘I’m struggling with other people now as well, if a member of my family can do something like that, how can I trust someone else?

‘It’s put a real strain on the family, I hardly speak to anyone who was at that gathering now.’

Sentencing Cooper, now 20, Judge Michael Chambers QC said it was ‘an appalling assault causing appalling injuries’.

He added: ‘You went to a family party armed with a serious weapon. During the course of that party you attacked and assaulted a middle aged woman by striking her repeatedly to the neck causing fractures and as a consequence she suffered grave and life-changing injuries.’ 

The defendant was sentenced to a young offenders’ institution for three years. He must serve half before being released on licence. 

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