Barry KellyGAZETTE & HERALD: Chippenham man James Billingham faces the prospect of a lengthy jail term after admitting glassing a man in a nightclub garden.

Barry Kelly needed dozens of stitches to his face and will be scarred for life following the attack at Mad Jacks on The Bridge.

It was feared that Mr Kelly, 23, could lose the sight in his right eye after Billingham rammed a beer glass into his face in the early hours of Saturday August 16 last year.

Now Billingham, 21, of Charter Road, Chippenham, faces the prospect of a long custodial sentence after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Judge John McNaught, sitting at Swindon Crown Court, told Billingham that though he had no previous convictions the offence was so serious he was almost certain to go to jail.

Releasing Billingham on unconditional bail he said: "I am going to adjourn this for four weeks. The probation service will be making a report on you.

"I must warn you this is a very serious offence and most likely to result in a custodial sentence whatever the report says.

"I don't want you to leave on bail under the false impression it won't be a custodial sentence."

Speaking shortly after the attack Mr Kelly told how at 1.30am he stepped into the club's courtyard to intervene in an argument between two friends.

He said "I managed to split up the two who were arguing and was talking to one of them, when something suddenly hit me in the face.

"At first I thought I had been punched. I landed on the floor but as I got up I realised blood was pouring from my face and that someone had actually thrust a broken beer glass in my face.

"When I realised I had been glassed, my immediate thought was, there's so much blood am I going to die?"

Within seconds of the attack Mr Kelly was attended to by a club doorman, who was trained in first aid.

Mr Kelly was rushed to Chippenham Hospital in a police car and then to the Royal United Hospital in Bath where surgeons operated to remove glass fragments from his face and eye.

He needed 18 stitches to his cheek and nose and another six in his eye.

"My friends have told me that my nose was literally hanging off," he said.

"I still can't really believe it has happened.

"I do not know the man who did this and I cannot comprehend what would make him do this to me."

David Broome, who runs Mad Jacks with business partner John Jefferies, said "Everyone has been very shocked by this sickening attack."

Soon after the attack he said the club banned glasses and bottles to prevent a similar incident.

"Everyone at the club was horrified by the attack on Mr Kelly and as such, we had no hesitation in banning glass," he said.

"We have a policy of zero tolerance on drugs, violence and any type of bad behaviour.

"And although implementing the ban on glass means more work for our bar staff, we want to make sure that what has happened to Barry Kelly cannot happen again."

He also called on Chippenham's other late night venues to follow his lead and adopt a no-glass policy.

"I would like to see this introduced everywhere.

"I will be contacting my fellow club owners and publicans to try and get it put in place as soon as I can," he said.