A DRUNKEN lout who glassed a woman in the face during a pub row was last night starting a five-year prison sentence.

John Donaldson's victim was left scarred for life and says she is now anxious and paranoid whenever she leaves her home.

Friends and family gasped in the Teesside Crown Court public gallery when the 24-year-old's sentence was announced.

The judge, Recorder Mark Gargan, told Donaldson yesterday: "You know you have to go to prison straightaway for it."

Donaldson threw a pint glass in the face of his victim when she challenged him about an alleged assault on another woman.

She suffered wounds to her lower lip and jaw and had teeth knocked out of place which had to be realigned, the court heard.

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe said trouble flared on September 7, 2013, in The Fleece, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire.

The victim had been told Donaldson had assaulted another woman, and went to bar staff to explain that she had seen it.

The court heard she then approached Donaldson and said: "You've just hit her in the face... it's wrong to hit a woman."

Mr Newcombe said: "He responded by throwing a pint glass in her face. She said it was so hard it felt like a punch.

"She felt immediate intense pain, and she spat out blood and some glass onto the floor. She had stitches in hospital."

Donaldson, of Meadow Lane, Northallerton, was found guilty after a trial of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The court heard that he has convictions of for actual bodily harm, and twice for threatening behaviour, affray and assault.

Jonathan Walker, mitigating, said: "The defendant is entirely realistic about the outcome and the obvious disposal of his case."

He added: "But it has been a massive wake-up call for him. He now realises that he has to totally change his behaviour."

Mr Recorder Gargan told Donaldson, who works for a window company: "You quite deliberately threw a glass into her face.

"I accept that she was in drink herself, and she played an active part in intervening, and criticised your conduct."