Man jailed after an assault in a Newcastle city centre bar caused his victim to lose an eye

A Jesmond man has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison for a vicious attack in a Newcastle city centre bar on August 1, 2023.

Emergency services attended the scene and found that a 52-year-old man had been seriously injured.

The victim was taken to hospital and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he had to have one of his eyes removed.

Police launched a CCTV image appeal as part of their investigation in an effort to identify the offender.

Saam Bayat, of Granville Court in Jesmond, handed himself in to officers after seeing the appeal and in November, he pleaded guilty to causing grevious bodily harm with intent at Newcastle Crown Court.

On Wednesday, March 13, the 34-year-old was sentenced to nine years and six months behind bars.

Speaking after Bayat was sentenced, Detective Constable Samuel Carr, of Northumbria Police, said: “We’re really pleased with this outcome. This is a shocking case, which will have a life-long impact on the victim.

“I would like to praise the officers involved – from those who first attended the scene to all the officers who have played their part in bringing the offender to justice.

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“In this case, the officers trawling CCTV and issuing a public appeal proved crucial in identifying Bayat.

“As a Force, we do not tolerate behaviour of this nature. I hope the strong sentence goes some way to helping the victim process the trauma of this horrific incident.

“Violence has absolutely no place in our communities and Bayat is now rightly behind bars where he will have a significant amount of time to reflect on the damage he has caused.”