Scarborough: Suspended sentence for man who threw glass injuring others

The incident happened at Scarborough's Opera House Casino in December 2021

A man has been given a suspended sentence after he threw a glass injuring a man who had bitten his ear.

A woman bystander was also injured in the incident at Scarborough's Opera House Casino in 2021.

Craig Smythe, 36, of Glacier Lane, Eastfield, Scarborough, admitted affray and wounding without intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, at York Crown Court.

Christopher Bowes, 52, of Trafalgar Square, had received a cut to his head in the incident on 18 December 2021.

He was jailed for five years on 1 December last year after being found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm in relation to his role in the incident.

After Smythe had thrown the glass at Bowes a piece of shattered glass pierced the jacket of a bystander.

The glass caused a deep cut in the upper arm of the then 19-year-old woman.

Christopher Bowes was jailed for five years in December after biting Smythe's ear in the attack

In a victim impact statement, the injured woman said she had not been back to the casino since the incident.

"I never thought anything like this would happen to me," she said.

"I don't like going out socially and don't like noisy, boisterous places.

"I am very nervous around people who are arguing or being aggressive. I was not involved in this argument but still got injured."

Det Con Steve Monty said he hoped the woman would be able to "put this terrible experience behind her and start to enjoy her life again".

"To end up in hospital and having to attend court as a victim and witness is awful. All she was doing was having a pre-Christmas night out with her friends," he said.

During Bowes' trial last year, Smythe in his victim impact statement had said where he said he was offered plastic surgery to rebuild his damaged ear - but added it did not happen due to issues caused by the pandemic.

"I lost weight and was unable to work for several months. I still get pain in that ear due to the nerve endings. It causes pain and discomfort," he said.