A man has been jailed for 16 months after he glassed another drinker in a revenge attack in a Huddersfield pub.

Paul McIntosh had to have plastic surgery to repair damage to the ocular muscle controlling movement in his left eye, following the incident when he was struck by Wilfred Charles in the Commercial pub in New Street, Huddersfield on January 31.

Simon Haring prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court there was some history between the two men and Charles appeared to Mr McIntosh to be approaching in an aggressive way when he saw him a few minutes earlier.

He was “puffing up his chest” and when he moved his hand towards his coat pocket Mr McIntosh thought he was going to struck and punched him first.

As a result of that Charles went to the floor. He was helped up by others and Mr McIntosh returned to his drink. But several minutes later when he was not paying attention to the other man he suddenly saw what he thought was a punch towards the side of his face.

Mr Haring said that was in fact Charles who transferred his glass from one hand to the other before striking him with it with “considerable force”.

The glass smashed on impact causing an irregular shaped wound below his eye and causing 30 per cent damage to the muscle. He had to have plastic surgery in hospital.

Adam Birkby representing Charles said he did not accept he had been acting in an aggressive manner earlier but had suffered facial injuries when he was punched.

He was clearly drunk, the barman describing him as “quite wobbly” and saying “he didn’t look on this planet.” His actions had not been therefore thought out “it was a drunken act” for which he apologised.

Drink was a crutch for him and at the time he was under a community order for an earlier offence.

Charles, 59, of Armitage Street, Primrose Hill, Huddersfield, admitted unlawful wounding.

Jailing him Recorder Tim Gittins said it was clear he had drunk to excess that afternoon.

“Whatever the root cause of the argument I accept he was the first to throw a punch whether that was in self-defence or not it perhaps matters little, because if matters had been left with trading blows with fists I believe this would not have reached court.

“But having gone away from that incident you returned and swapping a glass from the left to right hand you initiated a blow in his face with that weapon. It smashed on impact and cause significant cuts below his left eye.”