Bournemouth student needed screws in his face after an ‘extremely drunk’ teen attacked him

A Bournemouth student needed screws in his face after an “extremely drunk” teenager attacked him.

The assault happened on 1st November 2023 after the unnamed student “inadvertently”  bumped into Monty Hughes, who was 19 at the time.

Hughes, now 20, of Oakfield Road, Poole, had been drinking with three friends, and could be seen walking down Old Christchurch Road at approximately 3am before passing the victim.

This is when prosecutor Emily Evans said the student bumped into the group which then led to a verbal altercation.

Bournemouth Crown Court was told Hughes then struck the victim in the head which caused him to fall to the ground and lose consciousness.

According to the Daily Echo, the student was taken to hospital where medical staff diagnosed him with four fractures to his left cheekbone, bruising to one of his eyes, and reduced motion of his mouth.

He later had to have surgery for his injuries, resulting in the installation of metalwork and screws to help heal the fractures.

In his victim statement, the student said the pain following surgery was “the worst in his life”, and explained how he couldn’t eat properly for weeks.

He said that even nine months on from the assault, he was still suffering from nerve damage, and his university work, and social life were affected. He also said he had to stop playing rugby.

Defending, Kevin Hill said Hughes was “extremely drunk” and perceived the situation “entirely wrong”. He explained that the defendant was nervous about coming to court, and that it was not “not an overstatement to say he was petrified at what might happen to him”.

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Mr Hill further added that the incident was caused by impulsive behaviour and was out of character for his client. He said Hughes was “extremely remorseful”, and has stopped drinking alcohol since the assault.

Presiding over the trial, Judge William Mousley KC told the court that a probation report showed that the defendant was “disgusted and embarrassed by his behaviour”.

Hughes pleaded guilty to wounding/ inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent, and was given an 18 month community order. He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £3,500 in compensation.

Featured image via Ykraps on Creative Commons