A VIOLENT thug who repeatedly smashed a wine glass into a man’s face following a row during a funeral wake in a pub has been told he was lucky not to permanent damage to the victim’s vision.

Max Prior reacted violently to a perceived slight while the pair were sitting next to each other in the Travellers Rest in Darlington.

CCTV footage from inside the pub showed the defendant repeatedly smash the wine glass into the victim’s face before other people managed to pull him away from the man and restrain him.

The 36-year-old continued to strike the victim after the glass smashed on the delivery of the first blow.

Read more: Drunken thug locked up for assault outside Tesco Express

In March, a jury at Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant and the victim had both attended the funeral before the violence erupted in the West Auckland Road pub.

The Northern Echo: Max Prior. Picture: DURHAM CONSTABULARYMax Prior. Picture: DURHAM CONSTABULARY

Rupert Doswell, prosecuting, said: “Once the glass broke it was thrust again into the victim’s face. It was a persistent assault as well.

“It was only because he was being pulled away by others that this attack came to an end.”

The court heard how Prior’s victim had been left with permanent facial scarring as a result of the attack Mr Doswell said the defendant had previous convictions for attempted robbery and affray.

The 36-year-old, of St Johns Crescent, Darlington, was found unanimously guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm following the brutal assault in October last year.

Brian Russell, in mitigation, said despite pleading not guilty and taking the case to trial his client now had a greater understanding of the consequences of his actions.

He added: “Alcohol is one of the major recurring problems and he has been engaging in some alcohol treatment.”

The Northern Echo: The Travellers Rest in Darlington. Picture: GOOGLEThe Travellers Rest in Darlington. Picture: GOOGLE

Judge Christopher Smith passed an eight-year extended sentence with six years in custody with an additional two years on licence.

“There’s some very clear footage of the unhappy events that were to unfold that evening,” he said.

“You were sitting at a table next to your victim and the two of you appear to be in amicable conversation but suddenly you were to grab the glass and thrust it into his face, close to his eye.

“You thrust that glass with such force that it broke on impact and then still holding that broken glass you once again struck him to the face with it.

“You could have caused extremely serious, life-changing injuries to him. By some small miracle no permanent damage was caused to his eyesight.”

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