Man who threw glass in reponse to taunts about family member's upcoming trial spared jail - Jersey Evening Post
by James Sharp · Jersey Evening PostPosted inNews
Man who threw glass in reponse to taunts about family member’s upcoming trial spared jail
by James Sharp 4 June 20263 June 2026
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AN Islander who threw a glass at a man who had been repeatedly taunting him over his family member’s upcoming court trial has been spared jail – despite the glass accidentally hitting an innocent female victim.
George Wright had drunk between “five and ten” pints when he committed the offence on Saturday 27 September at The Square in St Helier.
The 22-year-old was said to have been subject to “repeated physical attacks” and “callous remarks” before launching the glass towards one of his tormentors.
However, it was heard that the glass “ricocheted” and ended up striking a young woman dancing nearby in the forehead.
Police officers attempted to arrest Wright in a taxi rank later in the evening but were met with resistance, and a “scuffle” ensued, the court heard.
It was said that the incident stemmed in part from a group of boys mocking Wright about his family member’s upcoming court trial scheduled for later this year.
Wearing a grey suit, the young man appeared at the Magistrate’s Court earlier this week to be sentenced for grave and criminal assault and resisting arrest.
Crown Advocate Peter Connick, prosecuting, said an off-duty police officer became aware of Wright after witnessing a “commotion” on the dancefloor at The Square in St Helier.
“The commotion carried on and that is when he saw the defendant stand up and throw a glass, which appeared to ricochet off one person, before striking a forehead of a young female that was present.
“The off-duty officer described the glass being thrown hard and at shoulder height – he didn’t think it appeared that the female was the intended target.”
During the police interview, the defendant described his behaviour as “awful”.
“He said he isn’t usually a violent person when he gets drunk, and that kind of behaviour is unacceptable”, the prosecutor said.
The court heard that the victim – who the defendant apologised to “profusely” – has since expressed her “dissatisfaction” at the decision to prosecute Wright.
Advocate Mike Preston, defending, noted that his client had been “drinking heavily” with a group of his friends when he was “punched hard” by a member of a group of males who were all known to him.
“Unfortunately, he was treated abysmally during the course of the evening by some of these individuals,” he continued.
Advocate Preston said Wright left St Helier and returned home to leave the group, before travelling back into town later that night.
“Unfortunately, one of these males turned up again – he was then subject to more provocation, put into a headlock and thrown onto the ground.
“It was after all of this that he made the decision to throw the glass at one of the boys – it did not hit that person and unfortunately hit a young lady instead.”
The assault was described as a “spur of the moment decision” made by a “very drunk man” who had been subject to an evening’s worth of “callous remarks” and “repeated physical attacks.”
Advocate Preston asked for any sentence to take into account his family member’s court trial later this year.
“That is going to be an incredibly challenging time for him and his family”, he said.
Delivering the court’s sentence, Magistrate Bridget Shaw, presiding, told Wright that the assault could have caused “very serious injury”, but accepted that he was “genuinely, genuinely sorry” for his actions.
“I take into account that you have no previous convictions and that your family has been under very great distress in recent years,” she said. “Part of the fall-out from what happened is that you have been suffering because of it.
“Whoever was provoking you knows which buttons to press, as it were, he knows your weak and sensitive area and he has persisted in taunting you about this.
“It doesn’t make what you did right, but it makes it more understandable that that is what happened.”
Wright was handed a total sentence of 130 hours community service, equivalent to seven months in prison.
“The court does not believe that custody is right in your case,” Mrs Shaw said. “When you apply for jobs in the future you will be able to say that I was given a community sentence because I was young, and accepted my responsibility immediately.”
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