A Suffolk supermarket worker who hit a man in the face with a pint beer glass in an unprovoked attack in Beccles has been given a suspended prison sentence.

The victim, who suffered cuts around his eye, was left covered in blood following the attack and was told by doctors he was lucky not to have lost the sight in that eye, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Before the court was 34-year-old Luke Spendlove, of Constable Terrace, Beccles, who admitted an offence of unlawful wounding.

He was given an 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years, a 120 day alcohol abstinence and monitoring requirement, a 30 day rehabilitation activity requirement and ordered to do 180 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £2,500 compensation to the victim and £1,200 prosecution costs.

Sentencing him, Judge Emma Peters said the victim had suffered cuts all round his eye and had been told that if they had been a millimetre either way he would have lost his sight.

The court heard that on August 30, 2020 Spendlove and the victim, who knew each other but hadn’t seen each other for several months, had been drinking at a pub in Beccles.

At about 8pm the victim left the pub and went to a cash point near Wetherspoon and, out of the corner of his eye, saw Spendlove coming towards him holding a pint glass.

Spendlove had then hit the victim near his eye and the victim had retaliated by punching and kicking the defendant.

“The defendant was staggering as if drunk but no words were spoken and there wasn’t any trigger event for the assault,” said Giles Fleming, prosecuting.

He said the victim suffered 4cm cut to the right side of his face, a cut below his right eye, a 1cm cut above his right eye and swelling and bruising to his face.

Matthew Edwards, for Spendlove, said his client was remorseful and had sought help with his drinking.