Balaclava-Clad Man Slashed Homeless Victim's Face in Burton Attack
A homeless man was viciously slashed across the face by a balaclava-clad attacker after revealing he was not from the local area, Stafford Crown Court heard. The victim, who was spending his first night at the Three Queens Hotel in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, sustained a 15cm facial laceration and a fractured jawbone in the unprovoked assault on August 15, 2023.
Prosecutor Salek Ahmed told the court that Adam Plant, 25, approached the homeless man with a group, all wearing balaclavas and dressed in black. After confirming the victim was not from the local area, Plant slashed him across the left side of his face. Police later found Plant near the town's train station with blood on his hands, carrying a knife, knuckle duster, and serrated blade. When arrested, he told officers: 'I have done wrong.'
In a victim impact statement, the man said: 'Since being attacked, I often become upset. After I was slashed in the face, I feel people always look at me.' He added that families now cross the street to avoid him and he worries about future relationships. Plant, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and weapons charges.
Defence counsel Stephen Hennessey said: 'There's no excuse for his behaviour, and he wholeheartedly accepts (what happened).' Sentencing was adjourned until Thursday, May 14, by His Honour Judge Avik Mukherjee.
