UoL lecturer has jaw wired shut after being assaulted in city centre pub

UoL music lecturer Adam Lewis was violently assaulted outside the Hope and Anchor on Maryland Street last December, forcing him to have his jaw wired shut and eat his Christmas dinner through a straw.

On Tuesday 1st October at Liverpool Crown Court his attacker, Anthony Hart, was sentenced to 27 months in jail for committing GBH.

Adam's recollections of the evening are fuzzy as a result of the concussion he suffered, however he recalls having a drink with his partner and another couple when two men began mocking his Essex accent.

Having ignored them later in the evening the incident escalated after one of the men made a vulgar comment about his friend's partner. The men squared up to Adam's friend and Adam attempted to diffuse the situation when he was punched in the head.

His attacker, faces a 27 month prison sentence

Adam told The Liverpool Echo: "From what I have been told by the police officers and others he's punched me and as I am on my hands and knees he's volleyed me in the jaw like Jonny Wilkinson."

His jaw was snapped on both sides meaning that the only treatment available was to have 18 inches of wire fixed in his mouth to restructure his jaw.

Adam has endured many months of gruelling recovery, during which he lost 2 stone because of his liquid diet and he admits that he cried for three days straight because of the agony he suffered.

For months Adam had to carry a pair of wire cutters with him, a precaution which would prevent him from choking on his vomit if he became nauseous.

Recently, Adam has had his wires removed and is finally able to smile for the first time in 7 weeks. However, the emotional damage caused by the attack is still prevalent in his daily life.

He now suffers with PTSD and is currently on a waiting list to see a psychiatrist. Speaking to The Liverpool Echo he described himself as an "emotional wreck" and finds himself bursting into tears spontaneously.

Adam and his partner

Additionally, the nerve damage inflicted to his bottom lip has left him unable to feel his partner's kisses.

He said: "When we first got together that was one of the things my partner said: 'You're a really good kisser.'

"But even now, on a personal level, it just doesn't feel the same because of the nerve damage on my bottom lip. I also drool when I eat, I drool when I drink."

He added: "I am not a violent person, I am a lover not a hater. I have a squeaky clean criminal record and I am a bass player, I am not going to risk damaging my hands by going around fighting" and admits he would have dropped the charges if the men had pleaded guilty.

The other man involved, Carl Murray, was also prosecuted on Tuesday and faces a 12-month stint in prison alongside a two-year suspension, 20 days of rehabilitation activities and 120 hours of unpaid work.