A REVELLER who came close to blinding a man in an unprovoked nightclub attack has been given a 15-month suspended prison sentence.

Conor Sean Mulhearn, 21, was on bail awaiting trial for an unprovoked assault on a man when he punched a second victim in Kuda nightclub when holding a glass in his hand, said prosecutor Aisha Wadoodi.

Recorder Simon Phillips QC told Mulhearn at York Crown Court the cut he caused was millimetres from the victim’s eye: “You could have blinded him.

“Persons who use bottles or glasses when assaulting other people in the pub or nightclubs when in drink should understand that they are at substantial risk of going to prison irrespective of their character.

“This was appalling behaviour. It was entirely unjustified.”

On hearing Mulhearn had cut back on his drinking since the nightclub assault, the judge said he should continue to do so.

“It is not for one day, or one week, or a limited period of time. It is henceforth going into the future.”

Mulhearn, of Langsett Grove, Clifton Moor, admitted wounding on April 21, 2014 and was given a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, on condition he does 200 hours’ unpaid work and pays £500 compensation to his victim, as well as a £100 statutory surcharge.

On April 24, York magistrates gave him a community order with 100 hours’ unpaid work and ordered him to pay compensation of £550 after convicting him at trial of assaulting a man at a Gillygate address on August 4, 2013.

Although Mulhearn admitted the Kuda attack, he claimed the victim was the aggressor, an allegation rejected by the judge after hearing evidence from both men and witnesses.

The judge accepted Mulhearn’s account he hadn’t realised he had a glass in his hand when he punched the victim.

Michael Greenhalgh, mitigating, handed in character references saying Mulhearn had behaved out of character in the nightclub.