Falkirk man glassed 24-year-old in Newcastle night club

David Shaw (30), of Davarr Place, Falkirk, has been handed a 12 month suspended prison sentence after being convicted of attacking a 24-year-old man at the end of 2018.

The pair did not know each other and were both enjoying a night out at the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Newcastle city centre on December 2 before the violent attack took place.

A court heard how the victim was walking across the dance floor but was repeatedly pushed by Shaw as he tried to navigate through the crowd.

The support worker turned and asked him what he was doing before Shaw grabbed him by the throat - and then brought a pint glass smashing over his head.

The man was left with multiple cuts to his face, including a 3cm x 2cm gash under his eye that left his face covered in blood and with a permanent scar.

Shaw, who was on a night out from Scotland and had been drinking for 12 hours, was detained by door staff before he was arrested by police.

He was charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm but at court the Crown Prosecution Service accepted a plea to the lesser charge of unlawful wounding.

Shaw was back before Newcastle Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday) where he was handed a 12-month custodial sentence suspended for two years.

But despite narrowly escaping immediate custody he was also ordered to carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and made to pay compensation to his victim.

Following the case, Shaw’s victim spoke of the long-term affects the assault has had on his confidence and said he hoped this week’s sentence acted as a warning to others.

He said: “After the attack I felt completely disfigured and I was told several times how lucky I was that the incident had not blinded me.

“I worry now that people will look at me and make a judgement on my character because of the scars to my face.

“I am a support worker and I need people to feel comfortable to come to me but I feel like people are constantly looking at the scars and thinking I am an aggressive person.

“Ever since the attack that night I have been extremely self-conscious. To this day I am stressed and anxious that this incident will happen again and so I don’t go out much anymore.

“Having these scars and having to see them every single day are a permanent reminder of the pain and shock that I was put through that night.

“I am glad he has been held responsible at court and all I can hope for now is that his punishment makes others think twice about using this level of violence on a night out.”

Northumbria Police’s Neighbourhood Inspector for the city centre has also condemned Shaw’s actions.

“This was a completely unprovoked attack on an innocent victim who was out with his friends to celebrate one of them becoming a father for the first time,” said Inspector Karen Madge.

“He did nothing to deserve what happened to him and I know that this assault has had a significant impact on his physical and mental well-being.

“Nobody who goes on a night out in a Newcastle deserves to leave in an ambulance and there is absolutely no place for violence in our city centre.

“David Shaw is lucky that he is not behind bars but I hope the fact he has been held accountable for his actions can finally offer some closure.”