Drunk dad throws glass, injuring 4-year-old daughter (Billingham, England, United Kingdom)

Dad ANTHONY MATTHEWS got drunk and threw a glass at his partner. The glass shattered, injuring the 4-year-old daughter that Mom was trying to take up to bed at the time.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/2009/07/21/drunk-billingham-dad-spared-jail-84229-24198452/

Drunk Billingham dad spared jail
Jul 21 2009 by Evening Gazette

A DRUNK who injured his young daughter when he threw a glass in a rage has been sentenced to curb his drinking.

Anthony Matthews, 43, was drunk at home in Billingham and arguing with his partner when he threw the object.

His partner Amanda Phillips was taking their four-year-old daughter Chloe Louise up the stairs to bed when the glass hit the banister. It smashed and a piece flew off, cutting the youngster on her leg and hand, Teesside Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Gale Gilchrist said: “It is accepted that he did not intend to cause the injury.
“It was a piece of glass smashing which hit his daughter.”

Matthews, a father-of-two, admitted that he had thrown the glass in anger, but he said that he did not intend to harm her in any way.

Stephen Constantine, defending, said that a probation officer’s pre-sentence report recommended a suitable non-custodial penalty for Matthews.

Judge Tony Briggs told Matthews: “When people get drunk and throw things about inevitably the entirely innocent get hurt. And I have no doubt that you feel as bad about this as anybody else.”

The judge added: “It’s a case where the public would be better served by you being assisted rather than by being locked up.“That will hopefully enable you to tackle your drinking more successfully than otherwise.”

Matthews, of Rydal Avenue, Billingham, was given a 24-month community order with supervision and a community domestic violence programme after he admitted the April 4 actual bodily harm assault.