An angry yob bottled the wrong man after he was headbutted on a train following an argument.
Marcus Maunder, 18, got into an argument with another group after they boarded a train at Liverpool Lime Street. As the train headed towards Bolton, Maunder, who was drinking from a bottle of wine and had his feet on the seat opposite, was abusive to one of the girls in the other group.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday, July 29, that the girls gave the defendant a hard time about his attitude, and their male companions, Gary Tomlinson and James Ruddock “began to stare at him which made him feel uncomfortable". Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, said Maunder offered them his wine but they declined the offer and when the train reached Leigh Green station the group stood up to get off.
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Mr Tomlinson then grabbed him, spat at him and head-butted him before getting off. Maunder leant out of the train door and mistakenly hit Mr Ruddock on the back of the head with the bottle which broke on impact.
Mr Walsh said: "Gary and the complainant had a similar appearance, both bald."
In an impact statement Mr Ruddock, who was left with a small scar after the incident on September 11 last year, said the incident had little or no real impact on his physical condition. He went on to express concern for Maunder and said he was feeling sad about what might happen to him.
Mr Ruddock said: “I would like to think he is genuinely horrified that he would carry out such an attack.” He added he hoped Maunder would be supported to make the most of his life.
Maunder, of Ashworth Lane, Bolton, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm. The judge, Recorder Mark Ainsworth, said that the terms used by Maunder towards the young woman “were frankly disgusting”.
He told Maunder his behaviour was "disgraceful". "I know it wasn’t all your fault but a large part of it was.” He said he had not been the first to use violence, “Gary was the instigator”.
Recorder Ainsworth said: “If your intention was retaliation you got the wrong person. There is no suggestion for one moment that it would be excusable if you had hit the right person.”
He sentenced him to six months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered him to pay his victim £500 compensation. He also ordered him to carry out 120 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation activities.
Paul Becker, defending, said the defendant had no previous convictions and the most positive result of the incident is that Maunder, who was supported by his parents, has now been identified as needing assessment for ADHD.
He told the court: "He appreciates using a bottle as a weapon and assaulting someone is a serious matter. He accepts responsibility for his spur of the moment action. He knows it was wrong.”
Mr Becker said Maunder works in a warehouse for the solar panel industry and could pay compensation.
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