Man jailed for bottle attack leaving victim scarred for life

A violent and unprovoked assault left a man with a permanent facial scar and needing 40 stitches after he was attacked with a broken glass bottle at a hotel in Llantrisant.

Christopher Moore, 31, smashed a glass bottle and used it to repeatedly strike Nathan Cheshire at the Three Saints Hotel on 10th June. The pair had both been staying at the hotel when Moore armed himself with the bottle whilst Mr Cheshire and others were sitting on a wall in the car park.

Moore claimed the group were “mocking his Irish accent” but Judge Daniel Williams said this was not the case during a sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court on Friday.

The defendant was seen purposefully moving away to arm himself before smashing the bottle and approaching the group to ask if anyone had a cigarette. He then launched a savage attack on Mr Cheshire, striking him between 10 and 15 times to his head and arms as the victim tried to protect himself.

Mr Cheshire suffered wounds to his forehead, cheek, left forearm, both hands, and tricep, requiring a total of 40 stitches in hospital.

In a victim personal statement, Mr Cheshire said: “I suffered a large gash to my forehead and I have been left with a prominent highly visible scar, which is not only physically painful but serves as a reminder of what happened. It was an extremely traumatic time in my life, I cannot hide (the scar) and it makes it difficult to move on with my life.”

The injury to his tricep has left him unable to grip objects and he has been unable to continue his job as a groundworker.

Moore, of HMP Swansea, was found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He has 30 previous convictions including threatening a person with a weapon, multiple racially aggravated offences, and assaults.

The court heard Moore has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and was placed into foster care at a young age. His barrister Martha Smith-Higgins said he was dealing with emotions, a cycle of prison sentences, loss of accommodation, and abuse of alcohol.

Judge Daniel Williams described the incident as a “savage and meaningless attack” which caused multiple wounds.

Moore was sentenced to six years imprisonment with an extended licence period of three years.