Boxer scarred for life after teen threw bottle at him in nightclub

A TEENAGER left an international boxer scarred for life when he threw a glass bottle at his eye in a nightclub.

Dominic Ashley, 19, carried out the “cowardly” attack at Streets nightclub in Porthcawl in the early hours of April 8.

It started when Ashley spat in Rebecca Madden’s face as he stood the other side of a barrier to the club’s smoking area.

When Ms Madden’s boyfriend Jordan Williams saw it, he confronted Ash ley. Ashley kept a glass bottle hidden before throwing it at Mr Williams’ face.

When police arrested Ashley at his home in Porthcawl, they discovered a taser in his room as well as a small amount of cannabis.

At a sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Wednesday, prosecutor John Lloyd told the court about the incident and showed CCTV of it to the court.

He said: “Words were exchanged between Rebecca Madden and Dominic Ashley in the smoking area but it escalated to a heated exchange.

“When Ms Madden told the defendant to go away and leave it, he stepped forward and spat in her face.

“That was seen by Jordan Williams and understandably he reacted to that by rushing forward to the barrier.

“The defendant held a beer bottle by the neck to his side and he stepped forward around an associate of his and threw the bottle in an overarm swing which connected with Mr Williams’ eye.”

Mr Williams was taken to hospital and received treatment to his injury which resulted in him receiving seven stitches and he has been left with a one-inch scar which is likely to be permanent.

He was also treated for concussion.

In a statement, Mr Williams, who has boxed at international level, said the injury had left him unable to train for an event he had been working towards for months, resulting him missing out on the competition.

He also said he felt “anxious” when socialising and no longer wanted to be on his own.

When arrested, Ashley claimed he didn’t assault Mr Williams and when police found the taser in his bedroom, he claimed a friend had bought it back from a holiday a year ago and had offered him £20 for it.

He later pleaded guilty to wounding, common assault, possession of an offensive firearm and possession of cannabis.

Sentencing, The Recorder of Cardiff Judge Eleri Rees said: “The wounding was an entirely cowardly matter, you were armed and he was across a barrier unarmed and you threw the bottle at his head.

“You had been drinking, which is not an excuse but an aggravating feature.

“We have this mindless violence outside nightclubs in the early hours of the morning and people get hurt.”

Ashley, of Pant Morfa, Porthcawl, received a sentence of 16 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months.

He was made subject to a curfew order for six months and was ordered to carry out a rehabilitation order of 20 days.