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A football referee was glassed with a champagne flute for laughing by a woman who saw red during a New Year night out.

Thomas Bainbridge had been celebrating the start of 2017 when Victoria Wheatley took umbrage at his amusement.

A court heard Wheatley stormed over to Mr Bainbridge, described as a “professional referee”, grabbed the glass he was holding and smashed it into his face.

He was left dripping with blood from a deep wound which needed stitches, was unable to take charge of matches for a time and is scarred.

But now Wheatley has avoided prison after a court heard the attack was out of character and she is remorseful.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Mr Bainbridge was seeing in 2017 at The Powder Monkey, in Wallsend, in the early hours of January 1, when trouble flared.

Wheatley, 23, was unhappy when Mr Bainbridge appeared to “laugh” at her friend after she became frantic because she couldn’t find her mother, who she believed had been injured in the pub.

Prosecutor David Crook said Mr Bainbridge had been holding a champagne flute when Wheatley stormed over to confront him and grabbed it out of his hand.

Mr Crook said: “The defendant then struck at Mr Bainbridge, striking him to the right side of the face, causing the glass to break and blood to flow immediately, causing severe blood staining.”

He was taken to the RVI after the attack with a deep, three to four inch wound to the side of his head that needed sutures and stitches.

The court heard Mr Bainbridge was unable to work as a referee in the immediate aftermath of the attack.

Mr Crook said: “He was advised not to referee football games because his blood pressure may be high.

“That caused him to miss matches and suffer financially as a result of that.”

The prosecutor added: “This was an unprovoked attack on the victim, who did nothing to deserve what happened to him.”

The victim told how he still has a visible scar six months after the attack, which is partially hidden in his hairline. He has also been left wary about going out.

He added in a statement read to the court: “I have never really had an answer to why I was targeted that night. “

Wheatley, of Lancaster Drive, Wallsend, who described her own behaviour as “dreadful”, admitted unlawful wounding.

She was given 12 months, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements, a six month night time curfew and must pay £2,500 compensation.

Sentencing her, Judge Robert Spragg said: “According to a witness who had the advantage of being sober, Mr Bainbridge began to laugh at your friend’s behaviour, which led to insults being exchanged between him and your friend.

“I make it absolutely clear, nothing Mr Bainbridge did, in terms of laughing at your friend’s behaviour, justifies, at all, what happened next.

“He maintains, and I agree with him, you had no reason to do this.

“The references speak of a different woman to the one involved in this incident.”

The court heard Wheatley had “taken a few steps back in shock” when she saw the blood and sent a message to her victim’s girlfriend shortly afterwards to apologise for what she had done.

Julie Clemitson, defending, handed in references about Wheatley’s ordinarily positive character and good background.

The court heard she had been with a friend that night, who was told her mother had been injured elsewhere in the bar but had been unable to find her so became frantic and was shouting.

Miss Clemitson said: “Mr Bainbridge found it funny and made comments to that effect.”

Miss Clemitson said it was then that Wheatley confronted Mr Bainbridge. But she added: “There is no suggestion he provoked the attack but it is not the same as turning on him for no reason whatsoever.”

The court heard Wheatley is a hard worker who has put her future career hopes in jeopardy as a result of the conviction but has taken steps to address her behaviour, including reducing her alcohol intake and saving up compensation.

She has said she is “ashamed and embarrassed” by what she did.

Miss Clemitson added: “She will be reminded forever of her mistake, it will hang over her forever.”