AN ATTACKER who evaded justice for nearly five years after almost blinding a man during a nightclub brawl has finally been jailed.

Shkelezen Elezi was at large after leaving two partygoers injured following a clash between Albanian and Russian groups at Oxford’s Bridge nightclub in 2012.

The 27-year-old was arrested following the scuffle but later ‘went missing’ and was only located by police last October, Oxford Crown Court heard.

He had denied he was the perpetrator of the attack at the Hythe Bridge Street club but was sentenced last Thursday for harming victims Ramza Dadayer and Mohammed Massoud.

Elezi, of Cowley Road, Oxford, had smashed a glass over Mr Dadayer’s head, forcing it to shatter and fly into Mr Massoud’s eye.

Jailing the Albanian-native for four years and nine months, Judge Peter Ross said: “Mercifully and perhaps surprisingly Mr Dadayer did not sustain terribly serious injury.

“This is an ugly episode of violence in a nightclub. It is clear to me that the two groups here were intent upon violence.

“I’m satisfied that you were in the forefront of your group and you were playing an active part in the fighting.

“You used a weapon, a glass, and the consequences for Mr Massoud were terrible - they could have been even worse.”

But neither of the victims will receive compensation for their injuries or be directly told that their attacker has been brought to justice as police officers are unable to trace them.

During the trial, a jury of seven men and five women was told the fight broke out between the groups in the club’s VIP area at about 2.30am on May 26, 2012.

A group of men attempted to diffuse the ‘melee’, along with staff, prosecutor Charles Ward-Jackson said.

As the nightclub manger grabbed hold of Mr Dadayer, Elezi rambled up to his victim, leaving him with three cuts to his head after smashing the glass object on him.

But the ‘flying glass’ cut Mr Massoud’s eyeball, forcing him to need specialist surgery to save his sight.

Mr Ward-Jackson said: “This was all caused by one blow with a glass and the prosecution say, although the defendant was not aiming to hurt [Mr Massound], it must have been obvious there was a danger others would be injured.”

Jurors unanimously convicted Elezi of inflicting grievous bodily harm, as well as assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but went on to acquit him of a second count of that charge.

The court was told the attacker appeared before Oxford magistrates last October for possessing class B drugs and was then sentenced for failing to surrender.

But Thames Valley Police failed to respond to any questions asked by the Oxford Mail about this, and did not provide Elezi’s custody picture.

Elezi denied the charges, claiming he was not responsible for the attack, jurors were told. Defence barrister Alistair Grainger said the ‘unpleasant and nasty’ attack was impulsive, carried out in the spur of the moment.

There have been ‘no serious and long-lasting’ injuries, the barrister went on to say.

Elezi, who must pay a victim surcharge, will be deported after serving half of his term in a UK jail.