Surgery After Pub Assault

Newcastle Herald

Thursday May 8, 2008

By INGRID BOWN

A TEENAGER who stabbed a man in the eye with a broken glass outside a Largs hotel has pleaded guilty to reckless wounding.

Mathew Neil Spooner, 18, of Largs Avenue, Largs, was committed yesterday to Newcastle District Court for sentence.

Prosecution evidence tendered to Newcastle Local Court said the victim, 23-year-old Steven Belcher, required surgery for a penetrating wound to his eye after the attack.

He had experienced ongoing complications and would never regain full vision.

The evidence said Mr Belcher and a group of friends were socialising at the Largs Hotel on October 27 last year when Spooner and a group, including members of his family, began harassing and verbally abusing them.

Bar manager Melissa Sullivan asked Spooner and his group to leave.

Mr Belcher, who had his arm in plaster after breaking his thumb playing rugby, and his group of friends also decided to leave.

As Mr Belcher left, two of the Spooner group confronted him, the evidence said.

As he tried to walk off, Spooner punched him to the right side of the face.

Mr Belcher and a friend then heard a glass smash on the footpath.

Mr Belcher was struck directly to the left eye with a sharp object, causing him to bleed heavily.

Mr Belcher, who had a piece of glass removed from a wound to his nose, was transferred from Maitland Hospital to John Hunter Hospital for emergency eye surgery.

Spooner later told police that Mr Belcher and his friends were the aggressors and he had struck out to defend himself and his family. He claimed he did not deliberately hit Mr Belcher with the glass.

The matter was adjourned to Newcastle District Court on May 15.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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