Bizarre prank may leave victim scarred for life
APRANK that went wrong could leave a man with a permanent scar.
Dale Gallagher was out with friends in Macclesfield town centre when a fight broke out, a court heard.
In an bizarre attempt to defuse the altercation the 27-year-old jumped on the back of another man, causing him to fall and smash his head on the floor.
The victim, Giovanni De Giulio, needed 13 stitches and now fears the scar will be permanent.
At Chester Crown Court, Gallagher, formerly of Macclesfield, now of Wordsworth Avenue, Manchester, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Sentencing him to four months in prison, suspended for 18 months, Judge Recorder Neville Biddle said: “This is a night out in Macclesfield that went horribly wrong. Your friend started this incident outside the restaurant and you decided to jump on the victim’s back, causing him to fall and receive a nasty injury. It is a salutary mess and shows what can happen when you let things get out of hand.”
He was also sentenced to 60 hours unpaid work and a Thinking Skills programme.
Mandy Nepal, prosecuting, said: “The victim was out socially with friends. At 3.30am he was outside Maxeez eating his burger when he accidentally bumped into a female. He tried to apologise but another male grabbed the burger and threw it in his face.
“The defendant was behind the complainant and jumped on his back. But the force of the jump meant he fell forward and hit the floor, cutting his head. It was a nasty cut on his forehead which required 13 stitches.
“In a victim impact statement Mr De Giulio said the incident had left him fearful that there could be a permanent scar.”
The court heard that the man who started the incident was Aaron Walsh, 24, who admitted assault at a previous hearing.
Hayley Bennett, defending Gallagher, said: “He was concerned about the incident escalating and thought he could distract everyone and get a laugh. It was horseplay that went horribly wrong. He didn’t intend to cause injury. He is full of remorse and embarrassment.”
The court heard that Gallagher, who recently moved from Macclesfield to Manchester for work, has previous convictions for violence but has been out of trouble for nine years.