Turned away from a Jefferson Avenue bar early Saturday for the open beer in his hand, police said a jilted drinker returned minutes later with a screwdriver and stabbed the bouncer in his jaw and arm.
To the bouncer at Rocky's Bar, Paul Bidwell, it looked like the man he just turned away, Neil Anthony Martinborough, 36, of 605 Depot St., was only taking a swing at him when he returned to the 141 Jefferson Ave. bar minutes later.
Then he felt the screwdriver dig into his jaw.
Before witnesses could help restrain him, police said Mr. Martinborough also stabbed Mr. Bidwell in the arm and left a stab wound in the hand of Moises Rivera, one of the witnesses who intervened.
Responding officers arrested Mr. Martinborough and took the screwdriver as evidence before charging him with two counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment, as well as one count each of possessing an instrument of crime and disorderly conduct.
Mr. Rivera received medical treatment for his hand wound at the scene while Mr. Bidwell had to have three stitches applied to the inch-long wound to his jaw at Moses Taylor Hospital.
Mr. Martinborough was later sent to the Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Tuesday.
Contact the writer: domalley@timesshamrock.com, @domalleytt on Twitter