Victim of alleged ‘glassing’ attack in Ipswich bar still doesn’t know why he was target

Ipswich Crown Court. Picture: PHIL MORLEY Archant

A man suffered cuts to his head and a perforated eardrum in an alleged “glassing” attack by a stranger in an Ipswich bar, a court has heard.

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Carl Ball was standing at a bar in Degero’s in St Nicholas Street during a night out with friends when Lisle Mowles got up from where he was sitting and walked three metres over to Mr Ball and hit him with an object, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

“No words were exchanged and to this day the victim doesn’t know why he was glassed in the face,” said Raj Joshi, prosecuting.

As a result of the alleged attack Mr Ball suffered cuts to the top of his eye and below his eye, a cut to the side of the head and a perforated eardrum.

Mr Joshi said that following the attack Mr Ball found glass fragments in one of the wounds.

A police officer who attended the scene also saw a small piece of glass in the cut above the victim’s eye.

Mr Joshi said that immediately after the attack, which was captured on CCTV, Mowles had been escorted from the premises by a doorman and he was arrested shortly afterwards by police officers on patrol who saw him covered in blood.

During police interviews Mowles said he had been out with his girlfriend since 6pm and had been drinking vodka and Red Bull.

He told officers he was so drunk he couldn’t remember what happened on the night in question.

After seeing CCTV footage of the incident he accepted he had caused Mr Ball’s injuries.

“The issue for you is whether he intended to cause serious injury or not,” Mr Joshi told the jury.

Mowles, 28, of Clopton Gardens, Hadleigh, has denied wounding Mr Ball with intent to do him grievous bodily harm on December 24, 2016.

The court has heard that Mowles has admitted a less serious charge of wounding Mr Ball.

Giving evidence, Mr Ball said he had been standing at the bar when he saw someone coming towards him and then felt an impact.

“I was hit with a glass,” said Mr Ball.

He said he had never seen his attacker before.

The trial continues next week.