She was still ‘pulling shards of glass out’ of her face weeks after the incident, a court heard
A young woman who had been out socialising was left with a nasty “lifelong” scar on her forehead after she was suddenly smashed in the face by a beer glass that a man recklessly hurled towards her group without warning. The glass hit her on her head and she was still “pulling shards of glass out” of her face three weeks after the horrific incident.
The woman was left “shocked” and she suffered concussion, nerve damage and memory loss from her injuries, Hull Crown Court heard. Jamie Baker, 48, of Southcoates Lane, off Holderness Road, east Hull, admitted an offence of wounding the woman on April 7 last year.
Katy Welford, prosecuting, said that the woman and her friends and family were out in Hull city centre on April 6 and into the early hours of the next morning. They wanted to get a taxi home and were near the Star pub in Carr Lane.
There was later a confrontation with other people who were nearby and Baker was involved in an argument with a man in the young woman’s group. A fight broke out.
Baker was carrying a beer glass from an earlier visit to another bar and he had taken it with him to the Star. He threw it “into the crowd” but it was directed at the other man.
The glass narrowly missed the man but it hit a 23-year-old woman in that group. She “saw blood” and fell to the ground. “The defendant was detained by door staff,” said Miss Welford.
The woman, now 24, suffered a wound to her forehead, which needed stitches under local anaesthetic. She suffered some loss of sensation to the right side of her face.
She later said: “I am just shocked at this happening. I am furious at this. I am going to have a scar for the rest of my life. I was in and out of hospital for a week.”
She had nerve damage to the right side of her face and she suffered concussion, which caused memory loss. It was still the same 18 months later.
“I was pulling shards of glass out of my face three to four weeks after the attack,” she said. “It sent me into a bad place.”
Molly Minter, mitigating, said that Baker was prepared to offer compensation to the victim for the consequences of his actions in throwing the glass. He was a self-employed plasterer and he had significant work commitments.
Recorder Nathan Moxon told Baker: “This is an ugly incident that has had lifelong effects. There was a fight outside the Star pub, during which you threw a glass towards the opposing group. You threw it from a short distance, not aiming at the person who was ultimately hit.
“She continues to feel pain and has suffered concussion, nerve damage and memory loss. It has scared her children and it has affected her mood. She will have a permanent scar just below her hairline.
“You used the glass as a weapon. The offence is aggravated by the fact that you were in drink. You have expressed remorse and shame. You have reduced your alcohol intake since this offence.”
Baker was given a 15-month suspended prison sentence and 150 hours’ unpaid work. He was ordered to pay £500 compensation.