Thug broke woman’s jaw in house party row
Group walked into home as victim drank prosecco with pal
JON MACPHERSON
ATHUG who unleashed a devastating punch on a woman breaking her jaw and fracturing her cheekbone has avoided jail.
Benjamin Culshaw, 21, attacked the victim as she was enjoying a quiet night at a friend’s family house in Accrington.
The 28-year-old said ‘everything went black’ after she was punched by Culshaw and had to be treated in hospital for a broken jaw and a double fracture to her cheekbone.
Burnley Crown Court heard how metal plates and pins had to be inserted into her face, some of her teeth were no longer straight and her bite had to be corrected.
The court was told that Culshaw and his friends had turned up at the house mistakenly believing a house party was going to take place.
Culshaw, of Bullough Close, Accrington, pleaded guilty to GBH and was given an 18-month jail sentence, suspended for two years with a six month curfew requirement and 120 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay the victim £3,500 compensation and pay £500 court costs.
Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said the incident happened in January this year as the victim was enjoying a glass of Prosecco at the friend’s house.
The court heard how a group, including Culshaw, suddenly entered the house ‘unannounced’ and the victim had ‘no idea why they were there’.
Miss Kehoe said the victim and Culshaw got into a dispute in the lounge before the defendant struck her once to the face.
The prosecutor said the victim felt ‘immediate pain’, started to bleed from her mouth and began crying and shouting for help. When Culshaw was later arrested he claimed he only pushed the victim and said it was in selfdefence.
A victim impact statement read out at court by Miss Kehoe told how the incident had changed he victim’s life. The court heard how the victim was ‘struggling to cope with what happened physically and mentally’ and is now ‘scared to go out’.
Miss Kehoe said her ‘social life had suffered significantly’ and she had to take a lot of time off work.
She told the court: “She had to have the metal plates inserted into her jaw and her cheek bones, her bite had to be corrected, she has permanent nerve damage to her face and her teeth are now crossed whereas before they were straight. She doesn’t want men around her and feels very uncomfortable and fearful it could happen again.
“She said it makes her sick talking about what happened to her.”