Bottle attack soldier jailed for three years

Felicity Davies, prosecuting, told York Crown Court that Matthew Sam Beckitt, 19, smashed a beer bottle on the ground during the incident in York in March.

Then he ran at Jamie Dawe, also 19, and pushed it into his face.

The glass left an 8cm wound in the victim's left eyelid and he needed 15 or 16 stitches under general anaesthetic.

"As a result of this injury, your victim could well have lost the sight of his eye," Judge Robert Taylor told Beckitt. He jailed him for three years.

Beckitt, no fixed address, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent. His barrister, Simon Reevell said he had lost the career he had set his heart on since an early age.

When Beckitt appeared before York magistrates two days after the attack, his solicitor, Craig Sutcliffe, said the Army was considering taking action against him for being absent without leave, and would take him into military custody if he was released on bail.

A soldier was present in court. Magistrates remanded Beckitt in civil custody.

At York Crown Court, Miss Davies said that Mr Dawe and his friend, Michael Knight, were walking away from Ziggy's nightclub at about 2am towards Toft Green when Beckitt, who was drinking from a bottle, started shouting abuse at them.

Mr Knight challenged him and Beckitt dropped the bottle, which smashed on the ground. Then he picked up the broken end.

After pushing it into Mr Dawe's face, he fought with Mr Knight until a doorman from the nightclub, who had seen the incident, intervened and called police.

The soldier later told officers he had smuggled the bottle out of the nightclub and claimed he had acted in self-defence.

Mr Reevell said Beckitt had been all set to have a career serving his country, but had succumbed to pressures and circumstances, which he did not go into, but were contained in a psychologist's report which he had handed in.

Beckitt bitterly regretted the assault.

Updated: 10:26 Tuesday, June 03, 2003