South Yorkshire boozer glassed man in pub in dispute over phone

Lee Findlay asked a man on the next table if he could ring his mobile phone because he couldn't find it, at the Bluecoats pub, on The Crofts, Rotherham, at around 11pm, on January 16, 2019, prosecutor James Baird said.

He became aggressive after he was told to "f*** off" and was asked to move to another part of the pub by the bar manager.

Findlay left but returned 40 minutes later, picked up an empty pint glass and smashed it into the left side of the man's head.

Four half-centimetre lacerations to his ear had to be closed with tissue glue, Mr Baird said.

Findlay was arrested a short time later, on a garage forecourt, with cuts on his wrist and a test showed he was three times over the legal alcohol limit.

The court heard he has 19 previous convictions for 30 offences, including affray, battery and possession of a blade.

His last conviction was in 2011 when he was jailed for drink-driving and aggravated vehicle taking.

Joy Merriam, mitigating, said: "The only aggravating feature is the involvement of alcohol. There are no relevant recent convictions.

"Not only did he start crying and saying this was out of character, but he was relieved to find out that the victim wasn't more seriously injured.

“He has made efforts to address his alcohol use."

Findlay, 40, of Oak Lea, Greasborough, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, without committing grievous bodily harm, when he appeared at the magistrates court.

Judge Rachael Harrison told him: "You were heavily under the influence of alcohol. You walked into the pub, looked around for a glass and picked one up and smashed it into his head multiple times."

"There was intention to cause more injury. Your underlying anger issues caused this offence. This was an attack on a man who had done nothing wrong, while he had his back to you."

On Wednesday, Findlay was jailed for eight months.

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues. The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here – www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions – for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online. Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.