Black Country stag do reveller almost blinded stranger in glass attack

Andrew Garbutt, of Park Walk, Brierley Hill, was partying in a bar, in Torquay, Devon, with a group of friends when he mistakenly believed they were being assaulted on August 23 last year.

His victim, Liam Hudson, had suffered an epileptic fit which was mistaken for aggression and poured a drink over the head of one of the stag party.

Garbutt then swung his arm while holding a glass that smashed into Mr Hudson’s eye, leaving a shard embedded in it and causing serious cuts to his face and neck which needed 30 stitches.

Builder Garbutt, 35, admitted wounding at Exeter Crown Court.

At a sentencing hearing Judge David Evans told him: “Mr Hudson has epilepsy and felt the onset of a fit, which may explain why members of your group described him as behaving a bit ‘crazily’. They were unaware he was epileptic.

“He poured a drink over the head of your friend, who struck him in clear retaliation and you struck him the next second in a momentary loss of temper as you reacted to that set of circumstances.

“You left a four centimetre shard embedded in his eye and multiple lacerations to his face which needed many stitches. His eye fortunately escaped permanent damage but he has been left with visible scars.

“In my view, this was a spontaneous and short-lived assault but it caused really serious harm. It is quite clear that you are genuinely remorseful and fully appreciate the awful consequences. You are truly sorry.

“There is no doubt that the way you behaved that night was out of character.”

Mr Rupert Russell, prosecuting, said Mr Hudson, 25, was at the bar with work friends and there was some interaction between the two groups. Mr Hudson came back from smoking outside when the incident happened.

Mr Russell said the victim suffered permanent scarring to his face as a result and had become self-conscious, more introverted and less confident about going out.

Solicitor advocate Mr Stephen Hamblett, mitigating, said Garbutt was a hard working family man with no record of violence and the attack was out of character.

The court heard that Garbutt, was keen to pay compensation to show his remorse.

In addition to paying £2,000 compensation, he was ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work in the community and attend 30 hours of rehabilitation activities.