Leeds drinker glassed cousin in city bar months after bottle attack

Kieran Walpole picked up the glass and hurled it at the man’s face in the early hours of morning on January 20 in the Now Serving bar in Wakefield city centre.

CCTV from the Market Street venue was played to Leeds Crown Court showing the moment he launched the glass from close quarters. Prosecutor Rachel Webster said the pair had been out drinking and were talking about the victim’s father who had recently passed away when an argument broke out.

Walpole grabbed the glass, hit it on the table and threw it at the victim’s forehead. He suffered a 1cm cut from the impact. Walpole, of Hopefield Green, Rothwell, admitted ABH.

The 26-year-old was only spared jail in September last year for allegedly hitting a person with a beer bottle.

Mitigating, Shaun Smith said Walpole had entered an early guilty plea for his latest offence. He said he had been in a “toxic relationship” at the time and had been drinking heavily.

He said that his drinking “was being addressed” thanks to the community-order conditions he received for his previous glass attack.

The judge, Recorder Anesh Pema told Walpole: “You are 26 and you have been before this court too many times putting it bluntly. You received a community order for a not-too-dissimilar offence.

"It should have been the greatest wake-up you could have had. It was done in drink at 2am in a busy bar with your grieving cousin. Having disagreed with each other, your response was to stand up and from about a yard away, throw a glass in his face. It could have taken his eye out – both his eyes out.

“I have taken into account your remorse and the changes in your life, but this far passes the custody threshold, but I will draw back from that.”

He said Walpole’s change in attitude had “saved him” from being locked up. He jailed him for eight months, suspended for 18 months, given 25 rehabilitation days and 200 hours of unpaid work.