Grudge man jailed after vicious glass attack

Mar 13 2009

By Court Reporter

A VICIOUS glass attack in a Leamington pub which left a man permanently scarred was the result of an eight-year grudge, Warwick Crown Court heard. Thomas Collins’ “evil” attack on Matthew Warsop atBarneys bar, Bedford Street, was the result of a childhood family feud between the two men and their families. Collins, 22, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after pleading guilty to wounding with intent in the bloody attack which sliced a 2cm piece of skin from the tip of Mr Warsop’s nose. Prosecuting on Thursday March 5, Vicki Lofrese said that when Mr Warsop moved to Leamington with his family in 1989 they lived next door to the Collins family. They got on for five or six years but things deteriorated with Mr Warsop and his brother being blamed for damaging property belonging to their neighbours. About eight years ago the Warsops moved, but last year Mr Warsop began working at Barneys bar. Collins, of Wilnecote Grove, Leamington, visited occasionally as a customer and began making threats. Last August Mr Warsop went into Barneys to see his girlfriend. Collins was provoking him by dancing close to his girlfriend while she was collecting glasses, and later approached Mr Warsop to taunt him. Mr Warsop tried to defuse the situation but Collins hit him on the back of the head with a pint glass, followed by more vicious blows with the now-broken glass. Mr Warsop was taken to hospital and treated for wounds to his face and head which left scars. Carolyn Orchard, defending, said: “He recalls seeing his mother in a very distressed state on a number of occasions. He had no idea just how much it had affected him. He was shocked at what he had done.” Jailing Collins, Judge Marten Coates told him: “This was an incident entirely started by you. What you did was a very evil thing.”