Valentines Day row landed friend in hot water

A woman poured a kettle of boiling water over her boyfriend’s pal after he told the couple not to row on Valentine’s Day, a court heard today.

Konstancija Tairova, 26, allegedly launched the attack after partner Adomas Marengolas returned to their studio flat after a boys’ night out in the casino with Edas Juozenas.

The guest played peacemaker in an argument in the early hours of 14 February last year before lying down on the sofa bed, the Old Bailey heard.

‘Suddenly, he was shocked to feel boiling water on his face,’ prosecutor Molly Pinkus said.

‘He put his right arm up to cover his face and that is when he saw Miss Tairova standing there with a kettle.

‘He saw her moving the kettle towards his face and body.

‘He jumped off the sofa in shock and screamed in pain.

‘At that point, Mr Marengolas got her and pushed her out of the flat into the corridor and locked the door so she couldn’t get back in.’

Police were called and Tairova was arrested, while the alleged victim was taken by ambulance to Newham General Hospital.

He was left with a 2cm red area of blistering to his nose, redness to his chest and shoulder and partial burns and blistering to his right wrist, the court heard.

Mr Marengolas told police there was no apparent reason why his girlfriend had thrown the water over his pal.

But Ms Pinkus told jurors Miss Tairova had also been for a night out on 13 February last year, returning home at around 1am.

She continued: ‘In the early hours of the morning, Mr Marengolas and Mr Juozenas came back to the flat.

‘Tairova and Mr Marengolas, who had been in a relationship had a conversation.

‘It would seem the relationship had either broken up or was in the process of breaking up.

‘Mr Juozenas was advising Miss Tairova not to fight with Mr Marengolas. He knew both parties and was aware of the problems they had been having.

‘Mr Juozenas became tired and lay down on the sofa bed.’

The court heard he was lying there with his eyes open for just a few minutes when Miss Tairova struck.

But in a police interview she denied she had thrown boiling water over Mr Juozenas, claiming to have been asleep when he and Mr Marengolas returned.

Summarising her account, the prosecutor said: ‘She said both men were acting erratically. She said she was in the kitchen talking to Mr Marengolas when Mr Juozenas came in and pulled her, ripping her dress.

‘She said she pushed him in order to defend herself and ended up running out of the flat before asking her neighbour to call police.’

Tairova, of Lampton Road, Hounslow, west London denies a single count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The trial continues.
ends