Man who hurled scalding coffee in next door neighbour's face in Chorley is jailed

Victim Robert Whitehead, 41, was left with burn blisters to his neck after Damian Lee Fishwick, 42, hurled the contents over his head in the street.

Fishwick, of Troutbeck Road, Chorley, admitted causing actual bodily harm on May 24 on Hollinshead Street in Chorley.

Prosecuting, David Clarke said: “Mr Whitehead moved into a flat at Chorlcliffe Mews on Hollinshead Street in Chorley. When he did so the defendant was his next door neighbour

“This incident happened at 11.10 am on May 24.

“At that time Mr Whitehead had been outside at the front entrance with a fellow resident and the defendant was also present, he was sat down on the doorstep.

“There was an argument about money - it seems to have been in connection with drugs. Whatever the specifics the defendant stood up and at the time was holding a large plastic pot of coffee which was still very hot, and as Mr Whitehead started to walk away he was followed at very close proximity and with quite some force the def threw the coffee.

“It hit him both to the head and body. He then set about punching and kicking him and the other neighbour intervened.

“Immediately it was seen by the third man that blisters were caused to the neck and skin was coming away. There was a lump on his head where he was punched.”

Fishwick made no comment in interview, but his defence lawyer Darren Lee Smith told the court he was stressed at the time, having given a statement in a murder investigation at the flats the previous day.

Judge Robert Altham said: “ You were sitting on the step of the premises. The victim came and you were engaged on some kind of discussion.

“We can’t tell what that was but he was clearly walking away from you, not offering any threat at all to you. What you did was throw over his neck and head area the contents of a cup of coffee, which was extremely hot.

“Burns are particularly unpleasant injuries, they hurt in a way that cuts and bruises often don’t, and I’ve seen photos of the injuries sustained by the victim.

“The assault did not end there because you set about punching him and he went to the ground, Despite the intervention of a third party you kicked him when on the ground.

“This was a really serious attack.

“You’ve breached virtually every order which has ever been placed on you, and so this is a sentence which has to take immediate effect.”