Model Fernanda Bonito who left property consultant disfigured after restaurant bathroom queue row is jailed

The Sao Paulo Court in Brazil declared Fernanda Bonito guilty of causing serious bodily harm and sentenced her to three years and four months in a semi-open regime during the January 8 hearing.

Bonito had left real estate consultant Milka Borges with painful injuries after she threw a glass at her face in the bathroom of a luxury restaurant at the Sao Paulo Jockey Club in January 2020.

The model reportedly skipped the line for the women's bathroom and got into a physical fight with Borges, according to witnesses heard by the police. After the fight, Fernanda threw a glass at her opponent.

Graphic images show the victim's face severely disfigured following the incident, with a huge cut above her lip requiring 90 stitches, taking years to heal.

During the trial, the judge stated that "it was proven that the person who initiated the verbal and physical aggression was the defendant, who insulted and attacked the victim."

The judge dismissed the defendant's argument that she had acted in self-defence, saying: "The victim was squatting when she was hit by a glass cup, so if there was any aggression on her part, it had already stopped. Therefore, what happened is characterised as revenge and not self-defence."

The judge added: "The defendant acted for a futile reason, consisting of refusing to wait in line for the bathroom because her boyfriend was the owner of the restaurant.

"In addition, she hit the victim in the face, who was bent over, picking up her belongings, which made it impossible for the victim to defend herself.

"As if that were not enough, she [Bonito] used cruel means, consisting of throwing a glass cup at the victim's face."

Borges' lawyer, Carolina Fichmann, celebrated the sentence which comes five years after the episode that occurred at the Jockey Club.

She said: “It took five years of fighting in court to prove that the case was extremely serious and required a response from society. Although we believe that the sentence was low, it is not a question of justice, but of the law in force in the country. The judge's sentence is irreproachable and is a victory for truth over arrogance. There is no longer any room in Brazilian society for arrogance. Equality reigns supreme.”

Borges said: “We are very happy with the conclusion of the process. It was a torment that I went through and continue to go through all these years. To this day, I still do physiotherapy and therapy to reduce the damage from the aggression. Many after-effects appeared on my face, I suffered psychological and emotional consequences as well... But it is with great joy that we receive this decision.”

Borges is also suing Bonito for financial compensation in Civil Court to cover her medical expenses to the tune of BRL 800,000 (GBP 102,000).

The criminal conviction and sentence can be appealed.

Story: NewsX