Castleford: Wakefield thug smashed gin glass into woman's face in unprovoked attack at house party
An aggressive partygoer launched a savage, unprovoked attack on a woman in Wakefield - just weeks after cheating death in a drink-fuelled crash.
Sam Millard smashed a gin glass into the victim’s face before repeatedly attacking her with the broken stem, leaving her scarred for life as a result of the shocking burst of violence.
He appeared at Leeds Crown Court via video link from prison after admitting a string of offences, including a Section 18 wounding and dangerous driving.
The court heard how Millard, 30, of no fixed address, attacked the woman during a gathering in Castleford on January 26 this year. His victim had been enjoying herself at a friend’s home when the defendant started “being aggressive and getting in people’s faces”, the prosecution explained.
Then, he suddenly “smashed the gin glass into the victim’s face”. She fell to the floor, and he “proceeded to hit her in the left eye before using the stem of the glass to smash into the left side of her neck”. He then tried to stab her in the face again, leaving her with wounds to her face, hand and neck - one perilously close to her jugular vein.
The victim said in a statement: “Even though I know he’s in prison, I’m still constantly looking over my shoulder and finding it hard to trust people. I’m struggling to get over this and don’t believe I ever will.”
The attack came less than two months after Millard’s near-fatal collision on Leeds Barnsdale Road in Castleford. In November last year, he had driven the wrong way around a roundabout, smashing into a lamppost and bollards before his car became airborne.
His alcohol reading was more than twice the legal limit and he also tested positive for a cocaine derivative. He was put into an induced coma and treated for three spinal fractures.
Mitigating, Tyler Hoffman said the defendant “paid a high price for his stupid decision to get behind the wheel” and was using his time in custody to gain qualifications. He added: “The defendant has expressed remorse and apologises to the victim and to her family.”
But Judge Ray Singh dismissed his claims of remorse, saying: “I don’t accept that at all, because it was only a matter of days ago that you spoke to the probation service and said you’d simply thrown a glass in her direction. How on earth is that being remorseful?
“Ultimately, you’ve left her with permanent scarring to her neck and left eye area which will be a constant reminder for her every day.”
He added: “You almost died as a result of your own driving and suffered a very serious injury. I’m afraid it was not a wake-up call at all, because you continued to commit further offences.”
Millard, who has three previous convictions for three offences - including careless driving - was jailed for 70 months. He was also banned from driving for two years and made subject to a five-year restraining order protecting the victim and a witness.