No sentence reduction for Hull man who glassed woman over 'TK Maxx' T-shirt remark

A MAN who glassed a woman after she claimed his designer T-shirt was from TK Maxx has lost an appeal against his 15-month prison sentence.

Michael Jordan Bettney, 26, left 22-year-old Rachel Adshead with horrific injuries after the attack at Hull's Fusion bar last Christmas.

He admitted unlawful wounding, claiming he had over-reacted, and was jailed for 15 months at Hull Crown Court in October.

He challenged his sentence but, now, his appeal has been dismissed by Court of Appeal judges, Lord Justice Toulson, Mrs Justice Cox and Mr Justice Coulson.

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Both Bettney and Miss Adshead had been out in separate groups on December 18, ending up in Fusion in Cottingham Road.

The original case at Hull Crown Court heard Bettney reacted angrily when Miss Adshead pointed at his T-shirt, suggesting it came from discount store TK Maxx, where she worked.

Bettney, who said he thought Miss Adshead was being aggressive and sarcastic, struck out, insisting he thought he was going to be hit.

He claimed he had forgotten he had a glass in his hand, which shattered on impact, causing Miss Adshead severe injuries to her face.

Requiring 14 stitches to the wound, she was lucky her father worked for Smith & Nephew and was able to apply special strips to lessen scarring.

Nevertheless, Miss Adshead was scarred for life, saying the attack had a "devastating" impact on her life.

In her victim impact statement, read out at Hull Crown Court, Miss Adshead said: "It's only been ten months since the incident but it feels like a lifetime to me. It has had a massive affect on my life.

"I have lost my job because I couldn't go back to work afterwards. I have lost my confidence. This has changed my life and me as a person."

A probation officer who interviewed Bettney, of Lonsdale Street, said he had been of previous good character and had immediately regretted a "moment of madness".

His legal team argued the 15-month term was too long, given his good character, the element of provocation and his guilty plea.

However, dismissing the appeal, Mrs Justice Cox said: "We have considered these submissions carefully, mindful of the strong personal mitigation of this appellant, the spur-of- the-moment nature of the attack and the difficult sentencing exercise this case presented.

"The victim consequently suffered serious facial injuries.

"While the scarring was not as severe as it might have been, given the prompt treatment she received, it is permanent and the injuries she sustained clearly had an appalling effect on her."