A WOMAN who branded a girl with an iron during a frenzied attack has today been sentenced to eight years in jail.

Mariam Naeem, 21, attacked the victim with a hot iron, burning and scarring both her forearms, stabbing her in the upper arm with a large kitchen knife and beating her about the head with a hammer at an address in Burnley on June 23 2009.

The girl suffered a fracture to her skull, lacerations to her upper right arm, burn injuries to both forearms and scalp lacerations. She was treated at Manchester Children’s Hospital but still has visible scars from the incident.

Naeem, of New Hall Street, Burnley, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to wounding with intent and perverting the course of justice.

During her time on remand Naeem and her brother, Saqib Naeem, discussed attempting to fool doctors and officers into believing she was mentally unwell with the intention of gaining a hospital order rather than a custodial sentence.

Following enquiries by local police officers, she was then further charged with perverting the course of justice.

Detective Constable Matt Capper, of Burnley CID, said: “This was a violent attack.

“Naeem has at no point shown any remorse for her actions. Not only did she violently attack the victim with weapons she also attempted to avoid punishment and a custodial sentence by pretending to be mentally ill when she was not.”

Naeem’s brother, 26-year-old Saqib Naeem, of New Hall Street, Burnley, also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and was given a four-month suspended sentence and 180 hours community service.