Suspended sentence for man who hit stranger with glass bottle at Peterborough Wetherspoons pub The College Arms

A man who struck a stranger with a glass bottle at a Peterborough city centre pub on Christmas Eve has been given a suspended sentence.

Louie McKillop, 24, was at the College Arms in Broadway, at about 11.30pm on Christmas Eve last year when he was having an argument with a member of door staff.

The victim, a man in his 40s, walked past the pair and made a comment to the doorman about McKillop not being very happy, when a couple of seconds later he felt a blow to the back of his head and was knocked to the ground.

With blood pouring down his face, he was told he had been struck with a glass bottle, and later required 14 stitches.

Police arrived and arrested McKillop, who immediately told officers “I’m really, really sorry, it was me” and “I admit everything, I did it”.

However, in interview he answered “no comment” to all questions asked of him.

McKillop, of Hammonds Drive, Fengate, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday), where he was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and must carry out 250 hours of unpaid work, after previously admitting assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) without intent.

PC Malachi Creedon, who investigated, said: “A split-second decision resulted in McKillop spending his Christmas morning in a police custody cell, and a father spending his morning in hospital when he should have been with his children.

“This behaviour is completely unacceptable, which McKillop knows and has shown remorse. I hope he has had time to reflect on his actions and understands the seriousness of them.”