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Jailed: Walsall man who slashed woman across face gets 12 years

A Walsall thug who scarred a woman for life when he slashed her across the face on Christmas Eve has been jailed for 12 years after he was tracked down in Scotland.

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Keelan Burke and the injuries he caused to his victim

Keelan Burke left his 22-year-old victim with a seven-inch wound running from the middle of her forehead down her cheek after a fight broke out in Bentley Lane, Willenhall, at 11.30pm on December 24, 2018.

Earlier in the evening Burke, from Willenhall, had punched the woman and threw a drink in her face during a row at The Bridge pub where the victim was meeting friends for festive drinks.

The two groups later clashed outside the venue and Burke, 24, lashed out with either a knife or glass.

His victim needed 26 stitches and is now permanently scarred.

Burke fled the scene – along with another man suspected of possessing a knife – and travelled to Scotland on Christmas Day in a bid to evade capture.

However, mobile phone analysis enabled detectives to track his journey late on Christmas Day into Boxing Day and established Burke had a connection to an address in Peterhead, near Aberdeen.

Arrested

They liaised with Scotish police colleagues, and in the early house of January 5 Burke was arrested outside a nightclub in the town.

Burke went on to be charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm plus common assault, and at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Friday he was jailed for 12 years having been found guilty following a two-week trial.

Investigating officer Pc Laura Dolan said: “The row started after the victim heard Burke on his phone threatening to attack one of her friends, and when she confronted him he punched her in the face and threw a drink over her.

“Her friends challenged Burke over what happened and both he and an associate responded by lashing out with weapons. It was a gross and grotesque over reaction and has left this young lady scarred for life.

“Burke clearly thought that putting distance between himself and the offence by fleeing to Scotland would keep the police off his back. But in just a matter of days we’d managed to track him down to face justice.

“I hope the victim can take some consolation that her attacker has been put behind bars for many years where he is no longer a danger to the public."

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