A witness in a Medway murder trial was himself jailed for two years for glassing a man in a nightclub.

Jonathan Towers, 27, of School Lane, Lower Halstow, lashed out at Matthew Chantry while they were at the Blues Cafe in Gillingham in April this year.

Maidstone Crown Court heard Towers, who admitted unlawful wounding, had himself been attacked just minutes earlier and wrongly believed Mr Chantry was involved.

He punched Mr Chantry to the side of his face while holding a pint glass. The glass shattered, causing lacerations to Mr Chantry’s nose and lip.

The attack occurred at a time when Towers and his family were said to have been subjected to months of intimidation and threats.

Helen Harper, defending, detailed in court a catalogue of abuse directed at himself, his parents and even his former girlfriend and young daughter from acquaintances of both the murder victim, Drew Shepherd, and his killer Lee Bullen.

Miss Harper said there was a great deal of animosity towards Towers. He had driven Bullen away after he had slashed Mr Shepherd’s neck with a broken bottle during a fight in Goudhurst Road, Twydall, in February, 2006.

Both Bullen and Towers were arrested the next day and Towers then became a witness for the prosecution. He gave evidence against Bullen at his first trial, and also at his subsequent retrial in October this year following an appeal.

The court heard that 23-year-old Bullen, of Heritage Drive, Gillingham, was again convicted of murder and sentenced to life.

Miss Harper said Mr Shepherd was not dead when Towers drove Bullen away from the scene in an attempt to end the altercation.

“The family of Drew felt this defendant had been harbouring his killer and there was a great deal of animosity against him,” she explained. “There was also animosity from Lee’s family as he was a prosecution witness.”

She told the court that Towers repeatedly reported the intimidation to the police but felt he was not being adequately protected.

On the night he attacked Mr Chantry, Towers had also been punched and struck with a bottle. He turned around, saw Mr Chantry and, believing he was responsible, went over to him and hit him.

Miss Harper said: “The way he behaved that evening was totally inappropriate and unacceptable. But had it not been for the intimidation he would not have behaved that way on that night.”

Passing sentence, Judge Martin Joy said he accepted Towers and his family had been subjected to threats and that Towers was under “a great deal of stress”.

But the judge added that the attack on Mr Chantry was premeditated and custody was inevitable.

Judge Joy also said that the offence was aggravated by Towers’ anger, his “shocking” record of 25 previous convictions for 43 offences, and his “willingness” to be violent and to use a weapon.

The court heard that at the time of the glassing Towers was serving a sentence of 90 days suspended for two years for offences of drink-driving and driving while disqualified.

Judge Joy ordered that he must serve 60 days of that sentence consecutive to the two-year jail term.

Miss Harper outlined in court several incidents of intimidation the Towers family had endured since 2006. These included:

- threatening telephone calls;

- a firebomb attack on the family home;

- several attacks on Towers while out in Gillingham;

- being branded a murderer himself;

- windows smashed at his parents’ home.

Miss Harper said Towers’ parents had since moved out of the area.

Jonathan Towers Snr told the court that his wife had been “destroyed” by the threats. “The family has not lived a normal life since the murder,” he added.

He described how the family, including his young grandchildren, were enjoying a birthday celebration in a pub “out of the area” in May when several men turned up hurling abuse.

Mr Towers Snr said his son was told “you’re dead” and branded a killer.