Fall-out led to Leeds city centre glassing attack

A man needed 50 stitches to a wound after being hit in the face with a glass by a friend in a Leeds city centre bar.

A court heard the victim has been left with facial scarring as a result of the attack by Scott Lazenby.

Lazenby, 23, was given a suspended prison sentence and ordered to pay the victim £1,500 in compensation over the incident at Jake's Bar, on Call Lane. Leeds Crown Court heard yesterday how Lazenby and his victim had been friends since school.

They had been on a night out with other friends to celebrate the victim's birthday on the night of the incident, June 15 last year.

Robert Stevenson, prosecuting, said the victim left the bar briefly to get his coat and when he returned he could be seen on CCTV footage approaching Lazenby. Lazenby could then be seen reacting angrily and pushing him away.

The victim approached him for a second time and Lazenby swung his arm while still holding the glass.

Mr Stevenson said the victim was taken to hospital and needed 50 stitches to the wound. He had been left with a visible scarring across part of his cheek and above his eye.

The court heard the victim was left badly shaken by the ordeal and now feels uncomfortable when he sees people holding pint glasses when he is out in bars. Lazenby was arrested and immediately admitted he should not have acted in the way he did. He said he was sorry and had acted angrily as the victim had 'put him down' about not being able to get a good job.

The court heard Lazenby pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at an early opportunity and had written a letter of apology to the victim hoping for forgiveness.

Lazenby, now of Salford Quays, Manchester, has moved away from Leeds after finding an engineering job in the aerospace industry.

He was given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and 250 hours unpaid work, in addition to the compensation he must pay. He was also made the subject of a curfew, between the hours of 8pm and 5am, for the next five months.

Recorder Simon Jackson, QC, told him: 'You were well in drink and you suddenly lost your self control.'