A man has received a prison sentence for inflicting severe injuries on a woman in Brighton.

Lewis Hilton spent the evening of July 16, 2022, socializing and drinking with friends in Brighton, during which he consumed a significant amount of cocaine, both before leaving home and while out.

In the early hours, around 3 am, when a female friend decided to leave and was about to be picked up from Baker Street, Hilton became upset and tried to stop her from going.

As she was getting into the car, Hilton threw the alcohol from his pint glass over her, followed quickly by hurling the glass itself, hitting her in the face.

The woman was injured, suffering a deep cut on her forehead, a fractured skull, and two brain hemorrhages, requiring hospital treatment.

Lewis Hilton, aged 26 from Craven Road, Brighton, was arrested on July 27, 2022, after the incident was reported to the police. He was later charged with causing grievous bodily harm.

In August 2023, Hilton was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail on January 11, along with a five-year restraining order.

he victim prepared a powerful impact statement which was read out in court. It said:

“Since the incident, my life has changed completely. Lewis Hilton and I were friends for at least six years and typically got on very well.

“After Lewis threw the glass at me, I felt completely betrayed by him. My physical and mental health has completely changed as a direct result of the injuries he has caused me.”

She goes on to say:

“One of the biggest ways my life has been affected is in my memory. I have very poor recall and I am not able to easily process new information.

“Whenever I look in the mirror, I feel incredibly upset. The scar on my face is a physical reminder of a terrible event and the injuries have been life changing. I am not myself at all and I feel like my life has been changed forever.”

Detective Sergeant Josh Bellamy said:

“Lewis Hilton has been rightly convicted and imprisoned following a horrendous assault against a victim who considered him a friend.

“Hilton tried to hide behind his voluntary consumption of alcohol and cocaine as being an excuse for his actions.

“The victim – who is only 24 – has been left with permanent scars which are visible reminders of what happened that night. Despite the significant injuries he caused to his own friend, he maintained that he had been unjustly treated and that he was not ultimately responsible for his actions.”

During the sentencing, the victim’s mother described her daughter as being “A shadow of her former self” and that her daughter had “completely changed”.

When passing sentence, Her Honour Judge Widdecour said:

“That young woman’s life is going to be very different – it already is, and will remain so.

“Her driving licence has been withdrawn and there is no evidence that she will be able to find and hold down a job.

“She previously had been very sociable and that has changed too. All of this is because that night you were so drunk and so affected by drugs. All of that is because of your behaviour.”