A drunken man threw a glass bottle at his friend in a crowded bar leaving a bystander scarred, a court has heard.
Lee Powell, 44, of Fountains Road, Liverpool, and Robert Baker, 41, of Bellamy Road, Liverpool, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday after a drunken fight between them left a woman permanently scarred. CCTV footage shown in court showed the fight between the two men on September 17, 2021, which began with Powell punching Baker in the middle of a crowded dance floor in G Bar on Eberle Street.
Baker retaliated by striking Powell with a bottle. Powell then grabbed a glass from behind the bar and launched it back onto the dancefloor, aiming at his friend, before punching him.
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Shards from that broken glass hit Nicole Owen, who was out celebrating a new job with her friends. Max Saffman, prosecuting, detailed that Ms Owen has no recollection of being hit in the face with a bottle.
She recalled putting her hands on the left hand side of her forehead and feeling blood running out and feeling pain. Ms Owen then remembers being seated opposite the bar on the pavement but does not remember how she got there.
She was taken to Royal Liverpool Hospital and treated for a three centimetre laceration on her forehead. The fight then continued outside of the bar, which was captured by a member of the public and posted on Snapchat.
Powell was outside the bar with no shirt on, and had blood coming out of his face. Baker approached and punched him repeatedly while Powell was on the floor outside.
A policeman could be heard shouting “get off him now” as he approaches to break the men up. When arrested, Powell said to police that Baker "filled him in, it was self defence”.
Both gave no comment interviews, but Powell did accept he had told police he acted in self defence. Powell pleaded guilty to one count of affray and one count on unlawful wounding, and Baker pleaded guilty to one count of affray.
Baker has 27 previous convictions for 48 offences, but mostly drug related, including a conviction for production of cannabis in 2014. Powell has 11 previous convictions for 16 offences, also mostly drug related.
In a victim personal statement read by the prosecution, Ms Owen said the incident had a huge effect on her mental health, and she struggles when in crowded places. She also still has a visible scar following the incident.
Kate Morley, defending Baker, said the two men have resolved their issues with each other, and the offence was out of character for her client. She said: “This is an unusual case in that this was not a fight between enemies, it was strangely a fight between friends that spiralled out of control quickly.
“He feels very much ashamed and disappointed in himself.” Julian Nutter, defending Powell, said: “He is full of remorse over what has happened to an innocent third party as a result of his stupidity.
“He is deeply remorseful and ashamed for what he has done here. “He would never behave like this ordinarily, and this offence will not be repeated.”
Judge Denis Watson KC, sentenced Powell to 18 months imprisonment for unlawful wounding and given a four month sentence for affray to be served concurrently. Baker was sentenced to nine months for affray.
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