A man brandishing a broken bottle lay in wait as his friend sent a chilling text to the victim informing him he was waiting outside.
Connor Burnett, 21, appeared in the dock at Aberdeen Sheriff Court and admitted being in possession of a broken beer bottle which he wrapped in a plastic bag to use as a handle.
His friend then sent a message the victim telling him Burnett was outside his back door on Esslemont Circle, Ellon.
He then lunged at his victim and slashed at the man’s neck and back as he fell to the ground in agony.
The victim was left with scratches to his neck and back and an injury from the fall.
Burnett pleaded guilty to one charge of being in possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and of striking his victim with the glass bottle.
Broken bottle was held so sharp edges were exposed
Fiscal depute Andrew McMann told the court that at around midnight on June 20 last year the complainer received a text message from Burnett’s friend stating “back door”.
“The complainer formed the opinion that the third party and the accused were outside the back door of the locus,” Mr McMann said.
“The man and his father went to the back door and saw the accused and third party standing at the rear gate.
“The accused was seen to be holding a broken glass bottle which he had wrapped in a plastic bag to make a handle.
“The bottom of the bottle had been broken so the sharp edges were exposed.”
The victim’s father approached Burnett to chase the pair away from the property.
However, the two men came together as Burnett proceeded to strike his victim on the back with the glass bottle, causing him to fall to the ground.
The man received a cut behind his left ear and superficial scratches to his back.
‘He has learned a salutary lesson from this’
Defence agent Ian Woodward-Nutt asked the court to take into account of his client’s “previously unblemished record”.
He added: “Mr Burnett is fully aware that this is a serious matter and frequently results in a custodial sentence.
“He has been in no trouble since this incident took place a year ago.
“On the night in question, he had drunk too much alcohol and there was bad blood between his friend and the complainer.”
Mr Woodward-Nutt also claimed that the broken bottle had been taken off Burnett by the victim’s father and that another bottle had been used in the assault.
However, he added: “This was incredibly stupid behaviour by my client and he has learned a salutary lesson from this.”
In considering his sentence, Sheriff James Hastie told Burnett that “jail could have been a potential outcome here”.
“This was a serious offence and it is lucky that there were no more serious injuries,” he added.
Sheriff Burnett sentenced Burnett, of Gordon Place, Ellon, to a community payback order with supervision for one year and ordered him to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
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