A man who pushed a broken bottle into a teenager’s face leaving him scarred for life was today (Wed) starting a six year jail sentence.
A court heard that Michael Halsall attacked his partner’s 18-year-old son after getting drunk at a family party and repeatedly scuffling with him.
Sentencing 49-year-old Halsall, Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, said that three previous convictions after arguments with his partner, Samantha Williams, showed that under the influence of drink and stress “you are capable of acting in a violent way.”
He said that he had read a moving reference from Mrs Williams who appeared to be standing by him and talked of his many positive characteristics and he had been told his employer was willing to keep his job open for him.
But he told him that because of the seriousness of the offence there was “no prospect” of maintaining his employment or being reunited with his partner in the near future.
Halsall, of Poulton Road, Southport, wiped away tears as he was jailed, and women supporters in the public gallery wept.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Halsall, of Poulton Road, Southport, had been in relationship with his partner for about ten years and on Boxing Day last year she and her son, Cameron Williams, were at a party at Halsall’s sister’s home in Threlfalls Lane, in the town.
Cameron went outside to be sick at about 1 am after drinking too much and Halsall was unimpressed that he had not cleaned up the mess. Cameron came back into the house and fell asleep for an hour until being woken by his mum who said they were going home.
Because of the earlier upset she did not want Halsall to go home with them and asked her son to get him out of her van at the end of the driveway. There was a confrontation and Halsall grabbed hold of him and they scuffled.
The teenager managed to get him to the floor and backed away but Halsall got up and again came at him and there was a further scuffle. “Halsall grabbed his face but Mr Williams managed to put him in a headlock and put him to the floor again,” said Chris Hopkins, prosecuting.
Someone took Halsall back into the house and thought the incident was over but shortly afterwards Halsall came out holding a wine or beer bottle.
“Mr Williams heard him shout ‘run’ but before he could do the defendant was ‘in his face’ and grabbed at him and they scuffled again.He again tried to put him to the floor so he could run away but he hit him on the head with the bottle which smashed but did not cause any injury at that stage except perhaps a lump to the side of his head.
“But while scuffling Mr Williams felt the defendant push the glass into the side of his face once and felt the bottle dig into him. He managed to wrestle the defendant to the floor,” said Mr Hopkins.
The court heard that the victim went to hospital where he needed 18 stitches and also steri-strips to his wound. In an impact statement the victim said he had been left permanently scarred and he is concerned it will affect his employment prospects and is currently unable to play rugby.
When arrested and interviewed Halsall said there had been arguments and disagreements with the victim in the past. He said he did not recall the incident but accepted the allegations must be true “if they said so” though also denied striking him with a bottle.
Mr Hopkins said that Halsall’s three previous convictions, which stemmed from relationship difficulties, involved driving with excess alcohol while intending to kill himself; two years later he was convicted of affray involving a meat cleaver and a knife and in 2011 he scratched his partner’s car with a set of keys.
Stuart Nolan, defending, said that Halsall, who pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, accepted he had caused life changing injuries to the young man he had supported for the previous ten years.
He said that references “speak of a different person” from the one who committed the offence and while on remand in prison he has taken courses in anger management and alcohol awareness and his references.
Submit News Contact us with your community, business or sport news. Phone 07581350321
Email ots@otsnews.co.uk
Facebook www.facebook.com/otsnews.co.uk
Twitter www.twitter.com/onthespot_news
Breaking local news as it happens, searchable archives with photographs, the ability to instantly comment on news articles – there are so many advantages to OTS (Onthespot) News.
If you want your news read locally online then send it to ots@otsnews.co.uk – relying only on the newspaper is to restrict yourself to an ever reducing audience.