A dad-of-seven lobbed a glass in a bar brawl on the night of England’s Euros heartbreak last year.

Orrean Jacob, 39, was at Templars Bar and Kitchen on July 11 last year – the night of the Euros final between Italy and England – when another man, who was not part of his group, ended an argument by throwing a glass at a staff member.

CCTV showed a melee forming in the wake of that confrontation. It was during the course of those clashes that Jacob threw a glass at another man.

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But the glass missed its intended target, instead striking a barmaid in the face.

She had to go to the John Radcliffe Hospital with a 1.5cm cut to her eyebrow.

In a basis of plea, remorseful Jacob said: “I accept I threw a glass. I did this because [the intended target] threw a glass earlier. I realise my decision to throw the glass was incredibly stupid and I apologise profusely to [the victim].”

Sentencing him to a 12 month suspended sentence, Judge Michael Gledhill QC said: “On July 11, 2021, you were in this bar at about 8.30pm with a lot of other people including children. There was a football match on that night and no doubt part of the reason most were in that bar was to watch the football. You were intoxicated.

“You decided in your intoxicated state at that point to become involved [in the fight] to the extent that you picked up a glass and threw it at the person you thought was responsible for the first glass throwing incident.

“Regrettably, the glass hit not the person you threw it at but this poor woman working at the bar.”

He said Jacob should be ‘thoroughly ashamed of himself’ and added: “39-years-old and behaving as you did, it beggars belief.”

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Mitigating, Richard Davies asked the judge to spare his client an immediate prison sentence. He had 'seven children in his life', including four step-children and three of his own. They would all suffer if he were sent to jail.

“This was somebody who exercised appalling judgement on that particular day and caused an injury,” he said.

Orrean, of Centaury Place, Blackbird Leys, pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm.

Judge Gledhill said it was not in the public interest to impose an immediate custodial sentence. He sentenced him to 12 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years. Jacob must pay £500 in compensation and £300 costs, go sober for 90 days and complete 32 rehabilitation activity days.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward