Walsall club thug smashed reveller's head through window
A thug has been put behind bars after smashing a fellow reveller's head through a glass window as violence erupted in a Walsall town centre nightclub.
Nicholas Gee was locked up for 14 months after he was involved in a brawl with two men in Walsall's WS1 One club on Bridge Street. Wolverhampton Crown Court was told yesterday that Gee, aged 20, of Neath Road, Bloxwich, later sought out the victims as they waited for a cab at Zaf's Taxis in Ablewell Street.
The court heard how on the night of December 8 Gee had been in the club in the town centre.
During the course of the night he squared up to one of his victims, claiming he had been bumped into while he was on the dancefloor.
A friend of the victim stepped in to calm the situation but Gee reacted and punched the peacemaker twice to the left side of his head.
Mr Mark Rees, prosecuting, said: "One of the injured parties asked what was going on and he was punched. The two complainants fell down some stairs.
"Afterwards they (the victims) left with friends and went to Zaf's Taxis to go home. The defendant and his friends all went to the taxi rank.
Two of the defendant's friends blocked the door as Gee grabbed the victim by the neck and put it through the window of the taxi cab office.
"It was smashed and the police were called."
It emerged during the hearing Gee had been convicted as youth in 2009 for battery after he kicked a person in the head at a Co-op shop in Walsall. He was then put behind bars for 23 weeks in a young offender's institute after a fight at Essington Working Men's club.
Gee pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two charges of common assault and criminal damage.
Record Nicholas Cartwright said it was miracle that the victim wasn't more seriously injured or even killed.
He said: "You are a man who has two sides to his personality.
"I have read the references who all speak favourably about you.
"You struck the first blow and caused the victims to stumble down the stairs.
"You were spoken to by the police outside of WS1 night club.
"The victims went to the taxi rank, they were going home and you sought them out. You pushed this man's head through glass and it is a miracle that this didn't cause a more serious injury or even kill him.
"It could have severed an artery in his neck."
As Recorder Cartwright read out the sentence Gee's family in the public gallery began to sob. He was sentenced to 14 months in a young offender's institute for all charges.
As Gee was led away to the cells, he blew a kiss to his relatives assembled in the public gallery.
