A BROMSGROVE teenager has been jailed for 18 months for a vicious, racially aggravated attack on a love rival who became pregnant by her boyfriend.

Former care worker Abigail Moody, of Slideslow Avenue, pretended to be the boyfriend on Facebook and then tricked her victim into coming to a flat, where she ambushed her, grabbing her hair, kicking and punching her, causing a fractured eye socket.

Moody admitted racially aggravated grievous bodily harm against Melissa Benhamou on November 17 and was sent to a young offenders institution for 18 months.

The 19-year-old will serve half with the rest spent on licence.

Judge Robert Juckes QC, who said he had increased the sentence due to the racial aspect of the case, told Moody: "This matter was a well planned, carefully thought out assault on a girl.

"Part of the reason was because of her racial origins."

He said it had been a "vicious" attack, accompanied by racial abuse.

Peter Grice, prosecuting, said the two women had been friends until April 2012, when Moody assaulted Miss Benhamou because she had slept with her boyfriend.

Then, in April last year, Miss Benhamou again slept with Moody's boyfriend and became pregnant.

Miss Benhamou miscarried the baby in May last year.

Mr Grice added that Miss Benhamou was contacted on Facebook by a profile in the name of the cheating boyfriend, Sam Bridge - but it was Moody posing as him.

She tricked Miss Benhamou into going to an address in Bromsgrove and Moody arranged for a taxi to bring her there.

On arrival, Miss Benhamou was sent a message telling her the door was open and to walk straight in.

But, in the corridor outside the flat, Moody "lay in ambush" and grabbed her by the hair before dragging her inside.

She racially abused her and, when Miss Benhamou's phone fell to the ground, Moody stamped on it.

Mr Grice said Moody repeatedly punched her victim, causing Miss Benhamou to hit her head against a radiator.

Moody then accused Miss Benhamou of getting blood on her trainers and said: "You slept with my man - you got pregnant with his kid."

Eventually the victim, who suffered a fractured eye socket, a possible blood clot in her eye, bruising and a chipped tooth, went to a nearby food outlet to get help.

Moody later told police Mr Bridge had been "cheating" on her.

John Lynch, defending, said it was a "nasty assault" and Moody had given a full and frank account of it to police.