A 19-year-old Folkestone university student's dreams of a career in film and TV are in tatters because of drink.

Connor Leizert – who left school with good GCSEs and A levels to study TV and video technology – is now behind bars serving a six-year jail sentence.

The drunken teenager, of Penfold Road, had launched an unprovoked attack in the town's Onyx nightclub - smashing a bottle over a man's head and then using it to slash him across the chest.

Victim Mark Chittenden later told police: "If this had been a normal fight I could have accepted what happened. But to do what has caused these injuries is clearly not right."

The customs officer – who was almost blinded by one of the blows – needed 10 stitches to a chest wound, which one witness said had "poured blood like a shower".

Judge James O'Mahony criticised the authorities for tolerating drunken behaviour.

He said: "This young man's life is going to be ruined and the victim will never be the same again.

"These courts see day after day extreme levels of drinking of young people, which leads to lives being ruined."

The judge then quoted from Shakespeare's Othello that "good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used", adding: "But this is extreme drinking that's going on and look what happens.

"This seems only to happened on the streets of cities and towns and there seems nothing to prevent it coming from the authorities.

"he recalls blows raining down all over him and then realised his face and body was covered in blood. it was all a blur to him and over in a flash…” – jim harvey, prosecuting

"There was a time when if you were drunk in the streets you would be arrested."

Jim Harvey, prosecuting, said Mr Chittenden's recollection of the incident, which took place three days before Christmas last year "wasn't substantial".

"He had consumed about six beers and a couple of vodka Red Bulls. He said he was fairly drunk but still able to work out what was going on."

Mr Chittenden went into the nightclub's smoking area and "all of a sudden" was hit by a drunken man in an unprovoked attack.

"He recalls blows raining down all over him and then realised his face and body was covered in blood. It was all a blur to him and over in a flash."

He was later taken to hospital and treated for scratches and gashes to his chest and eyes and back.

Witness Amelia Ball heard "raised voices" between 1am and 1.30am and saw Leizert smash a bottle over Mr Chittenden.

"She said he was pouring blood like a shower. She said blood was also gushing out of the victim's head and nose and she saw his shirt was ripped.

"She very bravely became involved and tried to tie the shirt around his head to stem the bleeding," Mr Harvey added.

The prosecutor said other people had described the injuries as "skin and flesh flapping from the chest wound and the victim having a nipple hanging off".

Another nightclubber, Katie Martin, who saw the attack, said she recognised the victim from earlier in the evening in the club and told police officers that he had been "arrogant and a bit of a jack-the-lad and appeared to be on his own."

Doctors were able to glue some of his facial wounds, but the chest wound needed stitches.

Mr Chittenden later told officers: "I will no doubt be left with a scar and my injuries could have been far more serious. No one deserves to be injured the way that I have."

Peter Alcock, defending Leizert, who admitted wounding with intent, said: "He could not be more sorry for what he has done.

"He feels ashamed and disgusted and now wants to write to the victim."

Judge O'Mahony, pictured left, told the student the offence he had admitted was so serious it carried a maximum sentence of life in prison.

He added: "You could easily have blinded your victim. There was a time when young men who fell out would fight with fists – although that's not to be condoned.

"All too often now weapons are used, which lead to disastrous results and all because you were drunk.

"What makes this case so appalling and tragic is that this was totally out of character. You are intelligent and at university and have your whole life before you."