Woman left with deformed nose after pub attack
BBCA woman was left with a deformed nose after she was repeatedly punched in the face in a bar, a court has heard.
Ellis Cowell, 22, attacked the woman on a night out in Sunderland on 17 December 2024, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
In a statement read to the court, the woman said she no longer wanted to leave her home and go out because of comments from others about her injury and scar as well as a fear of possibly seeing the defendant in Sunderland.
Cowell, from Sunderland, was jailed for 10 months suspended for two years after he admitted unintentional wounding.
He and the woman met while they were both standing outside a pub and initially they were laughing and joking with each other, prosecutor Joe Hedworth said.
However, the woman became upset when Cowell touched her chest without her consent although prosecutors said the act was not sexual, the court heard.
'Self defence claim'
Later inside the bar, the woman became angry with Cowell and climbed on a bench in an apparent move to attack him, the court was told.
Cowell repeatedly punched her in the face leaving her with a deformed nose and a scar on her face.
The woman told the court her nose was still "bent" 14 months after the attack and people would regularly comment on it which she found upsetting.
In mitigation, the court heard Cowell's mental health had been in a "downward spiral" due to "family traumas" and he was taking drugs, including cocaine, at the time.
Judge Edward Bindloss said Cowell admitted guilt on the basis of it being "self defence gone too far".
But the judge said he did not fully accept that as the incident had started with Cowell touching the woman in an unwanted manner.
The court heard Cowell had sought help with his drug use and mental health issues and there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation with support from the probation service.
One month of his suspended prison term was for Cowell's failure to attend an earlier sentencing hearing which had led to a delay in the victim getting justice, the court heard.
