A YOUNG man’s “drunken showing-off” left a woman permanently scarred and could have landed the perpetrator behind bars.

Lewis Watkins climbed onto an elevated area overlooking an adjoining pub garden and threw a glass which hit a young woman in the face.

Durham Crown Court heard the victim and a friend were about to go back into the High Crown, in Chester-le-Street, from the beer garden, when she felt a hard object striking her in the face, shortly before 1am on September 13, 2018.

She thought it came from over the fence and cctv examined later showed Watkins throwing a pint glass.

Anthony Pettengell, prosecuting, said the victim felt immediate pain, bleeding from the lip and was taken to hospital by ambulance.

She suffered a 2.5cm Y-shaped cut to her lip and a chipped tooth. An X-ray was taken to ensure no fragments of glass were left in the wound.

She was transferred to Newcastle Royal Victoria Infirmary where the wound was closed.

In a statement the victim, now 23, but then aged 20, confirmed it has left her with permanent scarring.

Mr Pettengell said she accidentally crossed paths with Watkins, two months later, and he apologised, telling her he did not mean to hit her with the glass.

She confirmed the police were looking into it, to which Watkins replied: “That’s fine. I shouldn’t have thrown the glass.”

The court was told the she received £2,400 from the Criminal Injuries Authority.

Watkins was interviewed and told police he did not intentionally throw the glass.

The 22-year-old, then aged 20, of Wynyard, Chester-le-Street, admitted unlawful wounding.

Jamie Adams, for Watkins, told the court he is of otherwise good character.

Judge James Adkin described Watkins’ actions as, “drunken showing-off.”

But he said it was “totally unacceptable” that such a “relatively straightforward” case should have taken so long to come to court..

He said, partly due to the delay, plus his lack of past convictions, he could suspend sentence.

Watkins was given a 14-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, but must pay the victim £1,000 compensation in six months.

He was also banned from all licensed premises in Chester-le-Street for six months, during which he must observe a 6pm to 6am home curfew.