5 Years Jail For Glass Attack

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday October 11, 2007

By MICHELE TYDD

An ice addict disfigured Jon Statham and destroyed his eye. Yesterday he faced a Wollongong court

A FORMER ice addict has been sentenced to more than five years in jail for ramming a broken glass into a stranger's face at a Wollongong pub.

On July 21, 2006, Caine Collins smashed a glass into university student Jonathon Statham's face, blinding him in the left eye and scarring him.

Collins, 24, showed no emotion when Wollongong District Court Judge Paul Conlon sentenced him for maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm.

The sentence, which included a four-year non-parole period, took into account a separate charge of larceny.

Mr Statham had gone to help a friend drawn into a scuffle at Cooney's Tavern.

As one man held Mr Statham's arms, Collins glassed him in the face and fled.

Mr Statham publicly urged his attacker to come forward but it wasn't until four months later that police found Collins hiding in his parents' garage at Towradgi.

Collins told police he had been drinking and did not recall injuring Mr Statham, but hours after the offence he had gone to hospital, lying about his own injuries sustained by the glass, the court heard.

Mr Statham, a University of Wollongong international relations student at the time, said in an impact statement that he, at first, blamed himself for his injuries.

"It was supposed to be just a fun night out with mates," he said.

"I tried to tell myself that I should have stayed at home to study as I planned.

"I no longer blame myself ... why can't I go out and have a good night without worrying about getting into a fight? So I don't blame myself now for the suffering I went through."

He said he was struggling to come to grips with a glass eye and permanent facial scarring.

He had to give up rugby and surfing and felt embarrassed to leave his house. He had even considered giving up his studies.

"I struggled to care for myself during this period as my family lived overseas, forcing me to deal simultaneously with studies and nursing my eye," he said.

"I used to be an outgoing person who played sport and did well academically.

"Now I have trouble facing people."

He said he had to overcome these feelings "because I cannot live like this for the rest of my life".

The court heard Collins had a normal childhood but started drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis in his mid-teens and later became an ice addict.

Collins had been on parole at the time of the offence for assault and other matters.

Judge Conlon said in Collins' favour he had pleaded guilty and was remorseful about the incident.

But he described the offence as "marginally short of the worst-case category".

Mr Statham is overseas after completing his studies.

His mother, Melenaite Statham, who now lives in Wollongong, broke down in tears at news yesterday of the sentencing.

"He (Collins) is a dangerous man and should have got more but I am thankful he got a jail term," she said.

"Jono is such a kind and gentle man who was just starting his life when this awful thing happened.

"But we thanked God his life was spared."

© 2007 Illawarra Mercury

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