A WOMAN has told how she lay on the ground and played dead to try to bring an end to a savage attack on her by her ex-lover.

Carol Muller said she was in fear for her life during the prolonged assault during which she was punched, kicked, burnt and stamped on.

It all happened after she had been taken against her will from South Cerney to the trailer park home of John Webb, the father of her two-year-old son.

On the way, she said, Webb had repeatedly assaulted her in the car and had pressed a lighted cigarette end onto her hand.

When they arrived at his home he continued attacking her, she told Gloucester Crown Court.

Mrs Muller was giving evidence against Lorraine Webb, 44, of Bourne Lake Park, Cricklade, who denied assaulting her causing actual bodily harm in January this year and was yesterday cleared of joining in the assault.

The court was told Webb, 45, now living in Perry Street, Chard, had already admitted abduction and assault arising from the incident.

He is due to be sentenced next month and has been warned he faces jail.

Robert Davies, prosecuting, said Mrs Muller and Webb had a brief affair which resulted in the birth of their son.

There had been ongoing discussions about his access to the boy, said Mr Davies.

On Jan 3, he said, Mrs Muller was taken by Webb, against her will, to the trailer park where he lived. Another man was driving the car and during the journey Webb was violent towards her, said Mr Davies.

"He assaulted her really quite badly, punching her, pulling her hair and burning her hand with a cigarette on purpose.

"He has pleaded guilty to his part in that."

Mr Davies said she was then subjected to a further assault by Webb.

"The assault came to an end with Carol Muller on the ground pretending to be rather more badly injured than she really was.

"She pretended to be unconscious and that seems to have frightened Lorraine and John and they made off in a different car."

Mr Davies said police arrived on the scene and later Lorraine was arrested but denied that she had taken part in any violence on Mrs Muller.

She admitted she had been at the trailer park when her husband turned up with Mrs Muller but said the only part she had played in the incident was to drive him away afterwards.

Cleared of assault charges

IT TOOK a jury only 30 minutes to find Lorraine Webb not guilty of assaulting Carol Muller by causing her actual bodily harm.

The prosecution had alleged that Mrs Webb assisted her estranged husband in the attack.

But Mrs Webb insisted she did not join in.

She said she was present at the trailer park where her brother-in-law Frankie lived but that was it.

Following the end of Mrs Webb's two-day trial her husband was due to be sentenced.

But after hearing that Webb's barrister was not available to speak on his behalf because he was involved in a case elsewhere, Recorder Nicholas Marston agreed to adjourn sentence for three weeks.

He also granted an application for a 'spousal assault risk assessment' to be carried out on Webb by the probation service during the adjournment.

The Recorder said he would also want a full explanation from Webb's legal team about why his barrister had failed to attend.

In evidence, Mrs Webb said the allegations against her were all false and she had not taken part in the assault on Mrs Muller at all.

Once the jury had acquitted her, the Recorder discharged her, saying: "I am sorry that you had to go through this ordeal, bearing in mind the past history you have had to suffer as well."

Webb's sentencing was adjourned until July 16.

The Recorder told him he was making no promises about what sort of sentence he would receive.

"The most likely outcome is a sentence of imprisonment," he said.