STUDENT Matthew James Thornley suffered a four-centimetre cut to his head which needed stitches after a fracas at a Blackburn snooker club.
Preston Crown Court was told how he was struck with a cue. His attacker, Chazanfar Nawaz, a 19-year-old student of Queen's Park Road, Blackburn, admitted unlawful wounding at an earlier hearing. He was ordered to do 180 hours community service and pay Mr Thornley £300 compensation.
Judge Andrew Blake told Nawaz he had "come very close to going to custody." He said he was able to pass a non-custodial sentence as Nawaz had pleaded guilty and he was 18 at the time of the offence. In the snooker room there had been some provocation.
Mr John Bailey, prosecuting, told the court the offence had taken place on October 14, 1999, at the St John's Snooker Club in Clayton Street, Blackburn. There had been a fracas at the club. Neither man had started the incident and when Nawaz was struck, not by Mr Thornley, he retaliated and struck out. He had had no intention to cause injury.
Mr William Parkinson, defending, said the incident started when there had been racial abuse.
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