Ex-rugby ace blinded in glassing by thug who snorted cocaine and sank 15 pints

Ex-Leeds Rhinos participant Matthew Syron, 32, was left blinded in an assault at a nightclub in West Yorkshire.

Syron was partying at Revolution de Cuba in Leeds metropolis centre, the place he’d had little to do together with his attacker Gareth Dean, earlier than he was injured in a sickening and unprovoked assault. A courtroom heard Dean guzzled 15 pints, drank vodka and snorted cocaine earlier than glassing the previous rugby participant.

Leeds Crown Court was instructed Dean had been consuming since 11am on December 26 final 12 months when he attacked Syron, who was stood on the bar. Michael Smith, prosecuting, stated he had had “limited interaction” with Syron, aside from an arm wrestling competitors with a good friend.

Mr Smith added the teams had had some interplay resulting from their widespread curiosity in rugby league, however there was “no sign of trouble”.

The prosecutor continued: “Some time after midnight Mr Syron was stood at the bar, standing next to some friends. The victim felt something push past his shoulder and it appears the defendant leant past him and pushed the glass into his face, with it shattering.

“Mr Syron instantly fell to the ground, realising his imaginative and prescient had gone blind. In due course, he needed to have glass faraway from his eyeballs.” Dean left to visit another bar, before handing himself into the police six days later.

Syron – who was visiting household from his dwelling in Australia, the place he lives together with his fiance and younger kids – was taken to hospital, and he underwent surgical procedure. The courtroom was instructed Syron can solely see gentle together with his left eye, however can see blurry objects in a room together with his proper eye.

The sufferer stated: “I have gone from being a person that doesn’t need anything from anyone to now being a 32-year-old that’s like a baby. It is soul-destroying. I hate every day.”

Dean was handed an prolonged sentence of 15 years, made up of 10 years and eight months in jail, with a five-year prolonged licence interval, after he pleaded responsible to inflicting grievous bodily hurt with intent.

Judge Richard Mansell, KC, instructed Dean: “Immediately after this unprovoked, cowardly and sickening attack, you left the scene. Demonstrating no remorse for what you’d done, you visited another bar.”