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17
Jan
Man sentenced for throwing glass at woman in Harrogate bar
A man has been sentenced for assaulting a woman in a bar in Harrogate.
Connor Francis, of Greenfields Drive in Harrogate, pleaded guilty last month to actual bodily harm and was sentenced at Harrogate Magistrates Court yesterday (January 16).
Mel Ibbotson, prosecuting, told the court the named victim was a 59-year-old woman who was not known to Francis before the incident.
She said the woman came to Harrogate for a conference and decided to go to Mojo on Parliament Street after the event on April 27 last year.
The court heard the woman was joined by other people and they sat at a table facing the bar area.
Ms Ibbotson said:
Alcohol had been consumed, and it was busy. [Victim] said they had only been at Mojo for 30 minutes before the incident happened.
The court heard the woman suddenly felt an intense pain in her cheek. She was then approached by a person who told her someone had thrown something at her.
Ms Ibbotson told the court the woman did not immediately realise she had been struck by a glass, but she soon noticed glass all over the table.
The woman felt dazed and staff at the bar brought her a surgical glove filled with ice to put on her face.
Ms Ibbotson said the woman was taken to hospital. Her face was tender and bruised, the court heard, but an X-ray did not show signs of any foreign bodies or fractured bones.
Ms Ibbotson read the victim's personal statement to the court. She said:
[Victim] said it could have been worse but it has had a serious impact on her.
She said she has bad dreams, sleeps poorly and constantly relives what happened. She also avoids public spaces.
Ms Ibbotson said Francis, 26, told police he had been out with some friends after the football.
Francis could not recall the incident, but when shown CCTV footage of it, he said he did not know why he threw the glass, the court heard.
Ms Ibbotson also said the Crown Prosecution Service accepts the defendant did not intend to hit the victim and that it was a reckless act.
Defendant ‘extremely sorry’ for what he did
“For whatever reason, he decided to throw the glass”, Shah Ahmed, defending, told the court.
Mr Ahmed said Francis has shown remorse for his actions and is of previous good character.
The court heard the defendant has addressed his drinking by reducing his alcohol intake and not going out as much.
Mr Ahmed added:
He is extremely sorry for what has happened. He has also provided a letter of apology to the victim too.
Before sentencing, the lead magistrate told Francis:
I need to tell you how stupid all of this is.
The magistrates handed Francis a 12-month community order. As part of the order, Francis must complete 15 rehabilitation activity days and wear an alcohol-abstinence monitor for 120 days.
He was also fined £349 in total. This comprised £150 in victim compensation, a £114 surcharge and £85 in prosecution costs.
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