Aggressive woman, 27, is jailed for nine weeks after GLASSING Australian footballer in random attack in bar forcing him to miss playing in the AFL Championships in Europe

• Liam Fowlie was glassed in the face by Nicole Wales on a night out in Newcastle
• Fowlie was due to play in a tournament in Amsterdam ahead of his injury 
• Nicole Wales was jailed for two years for her role in the attack in Newcastle  

An Australian footballer lost out on the ‘once in a lifetime’ chance to represent his country at the AFL Championships in Europe after he was glassed by stranger on a night out and needed emergency surgery to repair his eyeball.

Liam Fowlie was unable to play in the tournament, which was in Amsterdam in October last year, after a piece of the glass thrown into his face by Nicole Wales cut his eye.

The injury left Mr Fowlie with a misshaped ‘cat’s pupil’, a lump between his eyes and facial scaring.

Nicole Wales, pictured, who is now nine weeks pregnant, was jailed for two years after throwing a glass in the face of an Australian Football player in Newcastle 

Wales, 27, who is now nine weeks pregnant, will give birth behind bars after being jailed for two years for the attack.

Judge Christopher Prince said Wales ‘had it in for this man’ and that the victim was a ‘highly talented player’ who was due to represent his country.

Judge Prince told Wales: ‘You were intent upon there being aggression directed towards Mr Fowlie’ but said there was no clear reason why.

The judge rejected Wales’s pleas of remorse and said: ‘Self pity, most certainly, but remorse, none.’

Judge Prince said he was aware Wales ‘is expected to give birth while serving a prison sentence.’

The horror attack happened while Mr Fowlie, who was in the UK playing Australian rules football, was on a night out at the Mushroom Bar in Newcastle in March 2019.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Wales, a JD Sports worker, was in the bar with a group who had confronted the footballer and his friends.

The court heard Mr Fowlie was punched in the back of the head by an unknown attacker.

Prosecutor Elizabeth Muir told the court: ‘Nicole Wales at first appeared to be trying to keep her male friends away and seeming to be trying to push them back.

‘However, she was then, and could be clearly seen by Mr Fowlie’s friends as well as Mr Fowlie, to throw the glass in the direction of Mr Fowlie.  

In mitigation, Wales’s defence team told the court she was now nine weeks’ pregnant

‘That hit him in the face and the impact of the glass has gone on to cut into his eyeball and required surgery.’

The court heard Mr Fowlie needed emergency surgery to repair his eyeball, while

Wales, from Gateshead, admitted what she did and said she was ‘extremely sorry’.

However, when the case go to court she pleaded not guilty to wounding and was tried by a jury who found her guilty.

Mr Fowlie sad in a victim impact statement: ‘The injury prevented me from playing Australian rules football in Amsterdam, I missed a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent my country by playing AFL in Amsterdam in the European Championships.

‘I was devastated at the time.’

Mr Fowlie said he now had trouble reading small writing and has been told he may develop cataracts.

He added: ‘I am still confused why she and her friends wanted to fight us and what she was thinking while throwing the glass at my face.’

Mr Fowlie said he was thankful to be able to see out of the injured eye and thanked the medics who saved his sight.

Tony Cornberg, defending, said Wales has never been in trouble before, has good career prospects and is now nine weeks pregnant.

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