Drug-fuelled thug leaves man with 'life-changing injuries' after slashing his face outside bar in Darwen
A drug-fuelled thug left a man with 'life-changing injuries' after slashing his face outside a bar in Darwen.
The victim was attacked outside Spitfire Sports Bar on Borough Road at around 2.55am on October 20.
He was taken to hospital where he required plastic surgery for a severe facial injury.
The attacker - Jordan O’Brien, 26, of James Street, Darwen – was arrested later that morning following CCTV enquiries.
Officers discovered that O'Brien had repeatedly asked the victim – a man he had never previously met – to buy him a drink while inside the bar.
When the victim refused, O'Brien invited him outside, claiming he wanted to talk.
Without warning, O’Brien raised his hand and struck the victim in the face.
At first, the man believed he had been slapped, but it was soon clear he had been slashed with a blade.
The victim sustained a deep cut to the left side of his face, running from his chin, up his cheek, to the top of his ear.
O’Brien was initially charged with attempted murder, but he later pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possessing a bladed article in a public place when he appeared before Preston Crown Court earlier this year.
Last week, O’Brien returned to the same court where he was jailed for five years and eight months.
He was also given an extended licence period of three years after Judge Ian Unsworth KC deemed him a dangerous offender.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “O’Brien’s alcohol and drug-fuelled actions have resulted in a man suffering life-changing injuries, however they could have so easily proved fatal.
“We are pleased the Judge has assessed him as being a dangerous offender, which means he will have to serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before he is eligible for parole and offers the public some extra protection when he is eventually released.”