Attacker spared jail after hitting man in face with beer bottle in Scarborough bar

Richard Mancrief, 33, struck the victim in the face with a glass beer bottle inside the Sanctuary bar in St Nicholas Street.

York Crown Court heard that the victim, who was named, had been irritating Mancrief because he had interrupted a conversation he was having with friends.

Prosecutor Michael Cahill said that Mancrief, who was at a table with friends, struck out because he couldn’t get rid of the victim, who had walked up to the group and started chatting to them.

“It is clear that the defendant was not happy with the (victim) integrating his group,” added Mr Cahill.

“(Mancrief) was walking around the table, asking (the victim) to leave. Suddenly, he hits (the victim) in the face with a bottle of beer.”

Doormen rushed over and kept Mancrief at the scene until police arrived to arrest him.

The victim suffered cuts and a 3cm-long wound to his lip which required stitches. He also suffered bruising to his forehead.

Solomon Robinson murder: CCTV team and witnesses praised for helping catch the 5 killers

Mancrief, of North Marine Road, admitted wounding and appeared for sentence on Monday.

The court was shown video footage of the attack which shows the victim putting his hands up in a “conciliatory gesture” just before he was struck with the glass bottle, which smashed on impact.

Mr Cahill said Mancrief refused to answer questions in police interview, but the following day he sent a text message to a female friend in which he told her that he had “smashed a bottle” in the victim’s face because he had “aggravated” him.

Graham Parkin, for Mancrief, said his client was a hard-working man who had no previous convictions and was remorseful for the incident in the early hours of December 27 2019.

Recorder Chris Smith said the “unpleasant” attack had resulted in a “nasty cut to (the victim’s) face” and that the scarring was likely to be permanent.

He told Mancrief: “You took against a man who no doubt may have been frustrating (but) you assaulted him with a weapon.”

Mr Smith said the offence was so serious it clearly warranted a jail sentence, but that he could suspend this due to mitigating circumstances including Mancrief’s lack of previous convictions and his otherwise good character and work ethic.

The two-year jail sentence was suspended for 18 months, during which time Mancrief will have to complete 150 hours’ unpaid work.

He was also made to pay £800 compensation to the victim and complete a 10-day rehabilitation course.