A jilted lover has been ordered to pay his ex’s new man £200 after he hit him over the head with a glass bottle.
James Sim flew into a violent rage when he turned up at his former girlfriend’s home and discovered her in bed with the other man.
After an initial verbal altercation, the 19-year-old grabbed a glass bottle and hit his rival over the head with it.
His victim was left with blood pouring from a head wound, which had to be glued shut by medics.
‘Spectres of provocation’
Fiscal depute Georgia Laird told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that Sim still had access to his ex-partner’s property in Aberdeen.
She said he attended between 7pm and 8pm on February 26 and walked into the bedroom where his ex and her new partner were “together”.
A “verbal exchange” ensued before Sim began to gather his belongings and left.
However, he quickly returned and entered the bedroom, picked up a glass bottle from the floor and struck the man over the head with it.
There was a short struggle between them but it came to a swift end when the male realised he was bleeding from a head wound and Sim left.
His victim went to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he was found to have suffered a one-inch laceration to his hairline that had to be glued shut.
Sim, of Viewfield Gardens, Aberdeen, pled guilty to a charge of assault to injury.
Defence agent Andrew Ormiston said: “Mr Sim recognises that he’s behaved in a bad way and he’s embarrassed and sorry for that.”
However, Mr Ormiston added that there were “spectres of provocation”.
‘Emotional response’
He explained: “I’m not seeking to advance that in a legal sense, I’m asking your lordship to take the circumstances into account.
“His view was that the relationship was not over.
“He was not aware that there was another relationship ongoing with the complainer in this case.”
Mr Ormiston said that his client had an “emotional response” on discovering the pair in bed together.
The lawyer went on: “He recognises he should not have behaved in the way he did.
“He has no previous convictions and has taken positive steps since the commission of the offence to deal with underlying issues.
“He’s now abstaining from the use of illicit controlled substances.”
Sheriff Rory Bannerman warned the teen that hitting someone over the head with a bottle “could have been fatal”.
He ordered him to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and to pay his victim £200 in compensation.
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