Bride-to-be scarred in face by flying beer glass forced to delay wedding after beer garden brawl

An awful story from Hessle, England:

Claire Hawley, 33, has been left scarred for life after she was struck in the face with a beer glass at Corner House in Hessle town center.

So severe was the injury, she delayed booking her dream wedding in Cyprus, fearing the strong sunlight would make the scar worse...

Claire had only popped into Corner House for half a pint of cider during a day out with her mum. She was standing in the smoking area, speaking to an old friend, when a fight broke out between a large gang of men behind her.

Claire claims she saw Daniel Buttle, 19, being "battered all over" by another man when he launched the glass to defend himself. Laborer Buttle missed his attacker and, instead, struck Claire in the face.

The glass smashed, causing a large, deep cut from her eyebrow to her nose. Her forehead was also severely swollen and she had black eyes. She was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary where she had 17 stitches before she was eventually discharged at 6am the following morning.

She's very forgiving:

"The kid threw the glass to get out of a situation he couldn't get out of," she said. "He shouldn't have but he was scared and he panicked. I know he didn't aim for me and I don't blame him.

"I haven't let it faze me about going out but, I do think it would be safer if bars served drinks in plastic glasses. No matter where you are, there will always be one person who wants to cause trouble. If he had been holding a plastic glass, this wouldn't have happened."

Now, after Buttle, of Cottesmore Road, Hessle, appeared at Hull Crown Court for unlawful wounding, Claire and her fiancé, electrician Gary Pullen, 35, are looking forward to tying the knot in Cyprus next year...

Buttle narrowly avoided jail and was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He will also pay Claire £500 compensation and complete 120 hours of unpaid work in the community.

Victim and surgeon call for plastic glasses in pubs.

Now, plastic surgeon Nick Hart is backing her plea for new laws banning glasses in bars to be introduced. He said: "In my experience, the number of glassing cases does seem to be on the rise, especially in the past few years.

"People don't seem to just have a few drinks anymore – they're out to get plastered and can't remember anything that happened the next day. I think legislation should be brought in so that all bars give out drinks in plastic containers."...

Dr Hart said injuries from glass attacks can range from minor scarring to serious permanent damage. He said: "Injuries from glassings can be incredibly devastating and distressing for the victims. It can leave you deformed, glass can strike nerves and paralyse your face and if it strikes your eyeball it can damage your sight."

He said scarring is inevitable when someone's face is cut by a glass. "If it is a small cut and is stitched up quickly, you can be left with a very fine scar," he said. "But if it is left gaping and isn't seen to immediately, things can be more difficult and you can be left with heavy scarring that even make-up can't cover.

"It is awful this lady had to postpone her wedding. It shows how devastating these things can be."