Bottle assault apology

AN Oldham man who attacked a party-goer with a bottle outside a Blackpool hotel has escaped an immediate jail sentence after asking the victim to forgive him.

A Judge at Preston Crown Court accepted that Ian Broadbent (27) had acted out of character.

Broadbent had been struck first. He reacted by hitting Paul Davies over the head after lashing out in the heat of the moment.

He has since written: “I hope he can find it in his heart to forgive me”.

Broadbent, of Ellis Street, Shaw, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding outside the Norbreck Castle where he was staying in December, 2008.

He was given eight months’ prison, suspended for a year, with 150 hours community work, and ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation.

Paul Cummings, prosecuting, said Mr Davies had been to a Christmas party at the hotel and was later standing outside, with a woman colleague, at about 1.30am.

Some words were exchanged between the defendant’s group and the group including the other man.

It was alleged that Broadbent made some derogatory remarks about the woman. Mr Cummings said: “The Crown accepts that Mr Davies was the first to use any violence when he hit out.

“That caused a graze to the defendant’s eye. At that point the defendant responded by striking him over the head with a beer bottle.

“Mr Davies fell to the ground. An ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital.”

The injured man went on to have 10 staples applied to a left temple wound.

John O’Shea, defending, said a number of references from people who had written on behalf of Broadbent described him in almost glowing terms.

The offence was somewhat out of character.

“He acted in the heat of the moment,” said Mr O’Shea.

The defendant himself had written a letter to the court, in which he said he had been left mortified and ashamed by what happened.