Violent man punched another man in the face with such force it 'exploded his eye' and left him blind - The Leamington Observer

Violent man punched another man in the face with such force it 'exploded his eye' and left him blind

Leamington Editorial 9th Dec, 2018   0

A VIOLENT young man punched another man in the face with such force during an attack in a Leamington pub that his victim’s eye effectively exploded in its socket.

And as a result 23-year-old Craig Miller’s victim has been left blind in that eye and unable to return to work as a bricklayer, a judge has heard.

Miller, of Cashmore Avenue, Leamington, was jailed for two years and eight months after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Prosecutor Michael Williams said on October 13 Miller spent the afternoon in the Pig and Fiddle pub in High Street where he was described as merry but not drunk.




At about five o’clock he went outside, and when he came back in five minutes later he seemed to be in an anxious state and handed his bag to the bar staff in case something happened to him, then went back outside.

Stuart Cosgrove then came into the pub, but was extremely drunk, so staff refused to serve him any more drink.


Then a group of some five men burst into the pub making threats to Miller.

Mr Williams said the bar staff managed to usher the group out of the pub.

Miller then started telling Mr Cosgrove “This is all your fault” and began punching him to the face and head.

Miller was told to leave, which he did.

Mr Cosgrove, who had an injury to his right eye, also left the pub, but fell and hit his head, and an ambulance was called.

Although an injury to the back of his head was a result of the fall, the serious injury was to his eye from Miller’s punches which had caused a ‘global rupture’ to the eyeball and a total loss of vision in that eye.

Mr Williams pointed out Mr Cosgrove said he had been told he would never see out of that eye again, and ongoing surgery was ‘purely to retain the eyeball for cosmetic purposes.’

And, as a bricklayer who needed to drive to jobs, it has had a lasting impact on 49-year-old Mr Cosgrove’s ability to work.

When Miller, who had previous convictions for assault, was arrested, said when he had gone outside he saw Mr Cosgrove arguing with another man and asked if he was OK.

He said the other man reacted to that by threatening to shoot and kidnap him and his family.

And when he went back inside he took his anger for what had happened out on Mr Cosgrove, for which it was said he was extremely remorseful, expressing his apologies.

Tim Harrington, defending, said Miller was “mortified” by what he had done.

Jailing Miller, Judge Andrew Lockhart QC told him: “You are a violent young man. I have no doubt you present an ongoing danger to those in the community when you are in drink and in anger.”

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