Recidivist offender fronts court over violent act in a bar

A Dandenong thug almost killed a man out celebrating his wife’s birthday at a bar by thrusting a glass in his throat in front of partygoers.

A partygoer nearly lost his life after Clint Bellingham thrust a glass into his throat at the Deck Bar in Frankston.

A drunken thug who nearly killed a partygoer by thrusting a glass into the victim’s throat and later claimed it was in self defence has been jailed for nearly four years.

Clint Bellingham, 33, of Dandenong, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing serious injury recklessly and appeared for sentencing in the County Court in Melbourne on Tuesday.

He was jailed for three years and nine months,

The victim underwent emergency surgery at The Alfred, where doctors were of the opinion that the victim could have died from bleeding from the artery and the jugular vein.

Judge Peter Lauritsen said the victim went to the Deck Bar in Frankston with friends on the evening of February 4, 2023 for his wife’s birthday party.

About midnight, the victim went upstairs to the smoking area. Bellingham arrived at the bar about 11.15pm from a bucks party and had been drinking throughout that afternoon. About 12.30am, Bellingham watched on as the victim argued with some of his friends.

Clint Bellingham was at the Deck Bar in Frankston where he injured a partygoer by thrusting a glass into his throat.

The argument subsided but Bellingham walked up to another person and spoke to him aggressively. He then went to the victim while holding a beer glass. Another person tried to diffuse the situation by putting an arm between him and the victim and attempted to pull Bellingham away. Bellingham put the glass in another hand, pushed the intervener’s arm away and shouted ‘you f--king rat’ before thrusting the glass into the victim’s throat.

The victim, who thought he was going to die, was accompanied by his pregnant wife in an ambulance to the hospital. When spoken to by police 18 days later, Bellingham claimed the victim punched him first and that he acted in self defence.

In his victim impact statement, the victim said he’s been left with scars to his neck and jaw, nerve damage to the entire side of his right neck that affected his ability to speak, eat and smile comfortably.

An alcohol-fuelled violence saw a partygoer nearly lose his life at the Deck Bar in Frankston.

Judge Lauritsen said Bellingham had appeared in court on 18 occasions and had been found guilty and convicted on 213 charges, including 13 that involved forms of assault.

He’s been sent to prison on 11 occasions.

The judge said Bellingham didn’t have an accurate appreciation of what he’d done but accepted his remorse as genuine.

He must serve two years and six months before being eligible for parole.