Thrown glass sliced woman's hand

Friday 13 March 2020

A drunken argument in Folies nightclub saw a man chuck a glass against the wall behind the VIP bar, which shattered and injured a woman nearby.

Despite not even knowing Xavier McKee, 34, the woman suddenly found herself with a piece of glass being launched towards her, which sliced her hand open.

McKee was given a suspended prison sentence of four months by the Magistrate's Court, which will now hang over him for two years. He was also ordered to pay £1,000 in compensation to his victim.

McKee was being sentenced for a change of unlawfully and maliciously wounding a member of the public.

CCTV showed him leaning against the upstairs bar on 25 January at 23:50, talking to another woman - his ex-partner. After a few minutes of talking, McKee was shown chucking his glass past the bar staff, against the wall behind them, where it shattered. This caused glass to be showered on to the ground, and one stray piece caught the complainant on the hand.

Pictured: McKee was arrested soon after he threw the glass, and was interviewed by Guernsey Police on the Sunday. 

The staff tried to bandage the wound, but the woman had to go to A&E in a taxi to have it glued. She then had to go to a GP's on Monday to have it looked at again.

Meanwhile, McKee left Folies immediately after the incident. He returned later, and was arrested.

In interview with Guernsey Police, he said he was "absolutely disgusted" with his own behaviour, and said he wanted to apologise to the complainant. He explained he had been having an argument with his ex, and had thrown the glass out of frustration.

Pictured: McKee was sentenced in the Magistrate's Court.

Judge Graeme McKerrell was told how McKee's victim hadn't been able to work for a week after the injury, and hadn't been able to drive for two weeks. She had just been out in Town to have fun, and hadn't expected something like this to happen. 

He said McKee had serious previous convictions which had seem him serve time in prison, but also accepted they were some time ago.

"I accept your remorse is genuine, but there were plenty of people at risk, and you were extremely lucky that the outcome was not more serious than it was," he said.

McKee will now have a four month suspended prison sentence for two years, and will also have to pay the complainant £1,000. Just over £600 of this was to cover lost earnings, and the rest was ordered by Judge McKerrell to pay for some of the grievance the woman had suffered. 

Pictured top: Folies Nightclub and the Court building.