October 23, 2018 3.17 pm This story is over 66 months old

Man jailed for drunken High Street bottle attack

“The defendant was initially the peacemaker”

A man who used a bottle to carry out a street attack has been jailed after a hearing at Lincoln Crown Court.

Michael Nelson and another man were involved in a confrontation with a group of men on Lincoln High Street on the night of Friday, August 24, with Nelson initially appearing to act as a peacemaker.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said that Nelson then produced a beer bottle from his pocket and struck his victim Sean Clifford in the face.

The blow struck Mr Clifford’s cheek which swelled up. After the attack Mr Clifford and his friends called police and then followed Nelson and the other man along the High Street until officers arrived and detained Nelson.

Mr Howes said: “When the police arrived they described the defendant as appearing intoxicated. He was swaying and had a glazed expression.

“Mr Clifford went to Lincoln County Hospital to be checked over and to return for a follow-up appointment. He was signed off work for a week.”

Nelson, 24, whose address was given as c/o Riseholme Road, Lincoln, admitted charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon arising from the incident on August 24 this year.

He was jailed for 10 months and given a consecutive one month jail sentence for breach of an earlier suspended jail sentence.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, in mitigation, said: “The person with the defendant appears to have been the principal aggressor. The defendant was initially the peacemaker.

“His friend was upset. He had been sleeping in a doorway and there was a comment about people being on spice. They reacted to that because they thought it was unfair. It was a spur of the moment decision. Plainly he was on drink.”