A TEENAGER who molested a schoolgirl while on bail for a glass attack on a disc jockey is behind bars for three years and nine months.
Burnley Crown Court heard that DJ Stephen Bromley, 20, suffered a gashed cornea when Kurt Tomlinson, 18, "bottled" him as he sought to intervene as the defendant hit a woman.
Tomlinson was on bail for the offence when he sexually attacked a 13-year-old girl on her way home from school.
Mr Bromley will have to wear a contact lens to correct his vision in his injured eye after he was set on by Tomlinson outside a Burnley takeaway in February last year, the court was told.
Sentencing, Judge Raymond Bennett warned Tomlinson if he hit anybody else with a bottle he might end up in jail for life.
He said the defendant must have intended to cause really serious harm to Mr Bromley and had no defence.
Tomlinson, of Sedburgh Street, Burnley, had admitted wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and indecent assault.
Martin Hackett, prosecuting, told the court Mr Bromley went into Burnley town centre and had a number of drinks after finishing work at Lowerhouse Canteen Club.
At 1am, he went to the Golden Fish Bar where he saw the defendant arguing with and then hitting a woman about the head. Mr Bromley was abused and tried to intervene and push Tomlinson away from the girl.
The two men had an exchange and Tomlinson then picked up a bottle, ran at the victim and hit Mr Bromley from behind, striking the victim on the right side of his face. Mr Bromley fell to the floor unconscious and the defendant ran off.
Mr Hackett said the victim was taken to hospital and found to have a superficial corneal laceration. He was left scarred and disfigured and would have to wear a contact lens in his right eye.
Two months later, Tomlinson met the 13-year-old on her way home from school and started touching and stroking her. He then "tugged" her into a back street and into a shed where he got the child to fondle him and commit a sex act on him.
The girl ran from the shed and later went to the police station, where an officer found her distressed. The schoolgirl said she had been scared and had wanted to cry out but she couldn't seem to find her voice.
The prosecutor said when Tomlinson was interviewed he denied the offence and when he was questioned a second time he made no comment. The defendant had no previous convictions.
Anthony Cross, defending, said both the offences were serious and Tomlinson would be going to custody.
Tomlinson was 17 when he committed the offences. His guilty pleas meant the 13-year-old girl did not have to give evidence in a criminal court.
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