A man who left his victim with a scarred face after attacking him with a glass has been jailed for two and a half years.
Ellis Collins, from Brighouse in West Yorkshire, pleaded not guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent during a trial at Burnley Crown Court earlier this year.
Preston Crown Court heard how Collins, 20, launched an attack on Liam Yih in a bar in Rawtenstall after a confrontation between the pair three years ago.
CCTV footage played in the court showed a large group of people dancing and then Collins being struck in the face by Mr Yih.
In the footage, Collins then left the circle and walked to the other side, swapped a glass into his other hand and then punches Mr Yih in the face with the glass in his hand.
Claire Larton, prosecuting, said a permanent scar had been left on Yih’s face by the attack and it could be close to a grave injury.
Mitigating for Collins, Timothy Jacobs said: “The author of the pre-sentence report has taken great pains to paint a balanced portrait of this young man.
"It’s tied up with the expressions of remorse in the pre-sentence report.
“It’s unusual for a defendant who has had a trial to stand before the court and express genuine remorse.
"This is a young man who, right from the outset, accepted what he had done, accepted the consequences of that, and expressed remorse right from the beginning.
“During our discussion I did not get the impression the not guilty plea was an attempt to minimise the offence but an immaturity to the court proceedings.
“Ellis Collins was 18 when this offence took place. He’s had a lot of growing up to do in the last three years and you will see in the report he has done that.
“He has had to deal with the prospect of punishment for his offending. His family and partner have had to deal with the possibility of losing their friend and family member.
“The best bit in the report which speaks most about Collins states ‘I would suggest this has been a sobering lesson to be learnt'.”
Passing sentence, Judge Richard Gioserano said: “It is clear to me that in normal events you are a decent, law-abiding man.
"In many respects you probably feel this offence was committed by a very different person, because this offence was over three years ago and you were 18 years of age.
“You did of course use the glass as a weapon, and you did leave Liam Yih with a permanent injury.
"He is left permanently scarred and the psychological effect of that night will likely stay with him for some time.
“You did not go looking for trouble that night but when that trouble started you involved yourself in it. You did intent at the time to inflict really serious harm.”
Judge Gioserano handed Collins a prison sentence of 30 months.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel