Thug smashed wine bottle over head of wrong person after row about bags on train

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A teenager has escaped jail after smashing a wine bottle over his victim's head following a row on a train. Marcus Maunder, 18, a warehouse worker from Bolton, was with friends when he got into an argument with another group after they boarded a train at Liverpool’s Lime Street station.

Maunder, who was drinking from a bottle of wine and had his feet on the seat opposite, was abusive to one of the girls in the other group after a dispute about bags piled on a seat as the train headed towards Bolton. A court heard the language Maunder used was 'frankly disgusting'.

Liverpool Crown Court heard today (Friday) that the girls gave the defendant a hard time about his attitude and their male companions, Gary Tomlinson and James Ruddock, 'began to stare at him which made him feel uncomfortable'.

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Martyn Walsh, prosecuting, told the court Maunder offered them his wine but they declined and when the train reached Leigh Green station, the group stood up to get off.

Mr Tomlinson then grabbed Maunder, spat at him and head butted him and got off, the court was told. Maunder retaliated by leaning out of the train door and striking Mr Ruddock, rather than Mr Tomlinson, on the back of the head with the bottle, which broke on impact.

“Gary and the complainant had a similar appearance, both bald,” said Mr Walsh.

In an impact statement Mr Ruddock, who was left with a small scar after the incident on September 11 last year, said the incident had little or no real impact on his physical condition.

He went on to express concern for Maunder and said he felt sad about what might happen to him. “I would like to think he is genuinely horrified that he would carry