A teenager has escaped jail after smashing a wine bottle over his victim's head following a row on a train. Marcus Maunder, 18, a warehouse worker from Bolton, was with friends when he got into an argument with another group after they boarded a train at Liverpool’s Lime Street station.
Maunder, who was drinking from a bottle of wine and had his feet on the seat opposite, was abusive to one of the girls in the other group after a dispute about bags piled on a seat as the train headed towards Bolton. A court heard the language Maunder used was 'frankly disgusting'.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Friday) that the girls gave the defendant a hard time about his attitude and their male companions, Gary Tomlinson and James Ruddock, 'began to stare at him which made him feel uncomfortable'.
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Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, told the court Maunder offered them his wine but they declined and when the train reached Leigh Green station, the group stood up to get off.
Mr Tomlinson then grabbed Maunder, spat at him and head butted him and got off, the court was told. Maunder retaliated by leaning out of the train door and striking Mr Ruddock, rather than Mr Tomlinson, on the back of the head with the bottle, which broke on impact.
“Gary and the complainant had a similar appearance, both bald,” said Mr Walsh.
In an impact statement Mr Ruddock, who was left with a small scar after the incident on September 11 last year, said the incident had little or no real impact on his physical condition.
He went on to express concern for Maunder and said he felt sad about what might happen to him. “I would like to think he is genuinely horrified that he would carry out such an attack," he said.
He added that he hoped Maunder would be supported to make the most of his life. Maunder, of Ashworth Lane, Bolton, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm.
The judge, Recorder Mark Ainsworth, said that the language used by Maunder towards the young woman was 'frankly disgusting' and that his behaviour had been 'disgraceful', adding: "I know it wasn’t all your fault but a large part of it was.”
The judge went on that the defendant had not been the first to use violence, saying that 'Gary was the instigator'.
Recorder Ainsworth said: "If your intention was retaliation you got the wrong person. There is no suggestion for one moment that it would be excusable if you had hit the right person.”
He sentenced Maunder to six months in prison suspended for 18 months and ordered him to pay his victim £500 compensation. He also ordered him to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and 20 days of rehabilitation activities.
Paul Becker, defending, said that the defendant has no previous convictions and the most positive result of the incident is that Maunder, who was supported by his parents, has now been identified as requiring assessment for ADHD.
Mr Becker said: "He appreciates using a bottle as a weapon and assaulting someone is a serious matter. He accepts responsibility for his spur of the moment action. He knows it was wrong."
Mr Becker said that Maunder works in a warehouse for the solar panel industry and could pay compensation.
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