Dancer tells of horrific moment thug smashed a vodka bottle in her face as she sat in her car Dancer

'If it had been 2cm to the right I would have been dead in 40 seconds': Dancer tells of horrific moment thug smashed a vodka bottle in her face as she sat in her car

• Dancer was driving to see her friends when she was attacked in street
• She was left with glass in her neck which narrowly missed her jugular vein
• Attacker has admitted unlawful wounding and is facing a jail term
• WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT 

A dancer who was nearly killed in a horrific bottle attack has spoken of her terror after the thug who injured her confessed to the crime.

Chloe Knapton was left bleeding on the pavement when Andrew Shires glassed her while she sat in traffic in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, earlier this year.

After Shires admitted unlawful wounding yesterday, Ms Knapton told how she considers herself lucky to be alive.

Chloe Knapton (pictured before the incident) was left with severe cuts to her face and neck (right) after she was attacked with a bottle in a unprovoked attack earlier this year

She was told by medics that a shard of glass came within centimetres of the jugular vein in her throat.

The 21-year-old dance teacher said: 'If it had been two centimetres to the right I would have been dead in 40 seconds.'

The aspiring cruise ship dancer had been driving to a friend's after a night out when they pulled in to pick up a bike left in the road.She said: 'My friend indicated for me to pull in. I turned round and stopped near the bus shelter.

'I could see she was on the grassy bank talking to someone. I couldn't decide if she knew him or whether he was just kicking off.'

Ms Knapton said the next thing she knew a man was coming towards her holding the vodka bottle. 

Andrew Shires admitted unlawful wounding this week and is now facing a jail sentence

The dance teacher said medics told her that a piece of glass came within two centimetres of killing her

She added: 'I was petrified he was going to hit me', she said. 'He smashed the bottle through the window and I was covered in tiny pieces of glass.

'I didn't feel the glass going into me. It all happened so fast. My friend ran round and jumped in the car and just shouted 'drive'. She was screaming.

'He then punched the back window which also shattered and I drove off. I could hardly see for the blood and my friend had to do the gears and I was just steering.

'We just needed to get away. I thought I had broken a tooth and was spitting out blood.'

The two fled to a family friend's house where they called emergency services.

Ms Knapton spent four days in Leeds General Infirmary and was treated by three specialist surgeons.

Speaking at the time of the attack, her mother Allyson said: 'She was sat on the pavement waiting for the ambulance for more than an hour, she couldn't move because she was just in pools of blood and covered in glass.

'When she was in the ambulance we spotted this big chunk of glass in her neck. The doctors said it was just 2cm from her jugular vein.

'If that had been hit she would have died for certain. Everyone has been very supportive.'

Shires, 37, pleaded guilty to unlawfully wounding Chloe, but denied wounding with intent in the attack on April 16 this year.

Judge Guy Kearl QC adjourned to case for sentence, telling him: 'There is no promise as to the sentence, all sentencing options are open. He was released on bail ahead of the sentence.'