Man jailed for glassing mate in the face in drunken scuffle

JUDGE: “A glass can do terrible damage, you don’t need much imagination to think about the risks associated with smashing a glass into someone's face”.

Samuel Maddern was ordered to time behind bars after he glassed a man he knew on a night out in Bundaberg.

A man was left with a broken nose after being caught in the crossfire of a scuffle between his mate and another.

Now, the man who swung the blow has been ordered to time behind bars.

Samuel Jacob Maddern, 22, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg District Court on Tuesday to one count of unlawful wounding with a circumstance of aggravation.

The court that on June 12 last year Maddern had been out at the Queenslander Hotel in Bundaberg before the bar had closed.

After the bar closed patrons spilt out onto the street with Maddern physically removed by other people while he was still holding a glass.

Maddern was then pushed by a person unknown to him which caused him to fall to the ground.

He then got back onto his feet and moved the glass from his left to his right hand and approached the person who pushed him.

At the same time the victim, who the defendant knew, moved in to hold back the person who pushed Maddern.

Maddern then swung the glass in his right hand with the intention to hit the person who pushed him but instead hit his friend in the face, the glass shattering on impact.

A scuffle then ensued.

The court heard the victim suffered two deep lacerations, one on the bridge of his nose and the other to his right eyebrow.

The blow also broke the victim's nose in two places.

The victim required stitches and also had to have pieces of glass removed from his face.

CCTV footage of the incident was played in the courtroom.

Crown prosecutor Steven Dickson told the court the Biloela-born man had offences in his history which included a drunken public nuisance and obstruct police.

He said Maddern had not spent any time on remand for the incident.

Mr Dickson told the court Maddern made a number of admissions after the offending but was unsure whether he had glassed the man who pushed him or his friend.

He described the offending as a "serious example of a glassing".

"In my submission, there is absolutely no rational reason to respond by thrusting a glass with force into someone's face," he said.

Maddern's barrister Nick Larter told the court his client had been living in Bundaberg with his mother and siblings from a number of years.

He said Maddern had been estranged from his father for the last 16 years.

Mr Larter said his client had engaged with counselling after the incident occurred.

He told the court Maddern had struggled emotionally with the loss of a close friend who died after being hit by a car a few years ago.

Mr Larter said his client's plea came at an early opportunity.

Before he was sentenced Maddern told Judge Leanne Clare that he was sorry the offence had happened.

Judge Clare took into account Maddern's plea came at an early opportunity and that he "expressed appropriate remorse".

She also took into account Maddern had taken "positive steps" towards change by engaging with counselling and giving up drinking.

However, she said people should be able to go out to places without having a concern for their safety.

"Pub glassings, drunken patrons attacking innocent bystanders happen too frequently," she said.

"A glass can do terrible damage, you don't need much imagination to think about the risks associated with smashing a glass into someone's face.

"All woundings are serious and in this instance you were intoxicated in a public place … while your action on this night was deliberate, it was an impulsive and excessive response to aggression by another drunk.

"The innocent victim was caught in the crossfire."

Judge Clare said an important purpose of Maddern's sentence was to send a message of deterrence to people before they put themselves in a similar situation.

"People who are drunk don't think rationally, they don't think of the consequences," she said.

Maddern was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment to be suspended for three years after serving six months.

He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.

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