A Perth pub-goer that smashed a glass into the face of another patron has been sent to prison for “grossly disproportionate” conduct.
In October 2019 37-year-old David Grant Weir was drinking at ALH’s Brass Monkey Hotel in Northbridge with his girlfriend.
Weir thought he saw another man put his arm around his girlfriend’s waist and became very angry. The pair exchanged words before Weir hit him with a pint glass of beer.
The glass smashed, causing multiple lacerations, and the man required surgery on his eye, which is now permanently damaged. Prior to the assault he had begun the process to join the RAAF, but evidence before the court said he now cannot meet medical requirements.
Prosecutor Sarah Jessup attested the incident was “nothing short of fundamentally life-changing” for the victim of the assault.
Judge Felicity Davis noted Weir’s prior record but also his remorse, his plea of guilty to causing grievous bodily harm, and his steps taken to rehabilitate what she suggested was an anger management problem.
“Your conduct can only be described as grossly disproportionate in the circumstances.
“There’s the need to protect the community, denunciate your conduct, generally deter others who might be like-minded from committing similar offences, and specifically deter you from committing offences in the future.”
Weir’s defence had pleaded for a suspended sentence, but Davis deemed that would be inappropriate and sentenced the defendant to three years, with a minimum 18 months before eligibility for parole.
