Threw bottle which hit girl on head

When a 21-year-old man threw a bottle in the early hours of New Year's Day it struck a female on the head, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard last Friday.
Craigavon Courthouse. INPT21-239.Craigavon Courthouse. INPT21-239.
Craigavon Courthouse. INPT21-239.

Ashley Hall, Twinem Court, Portadown, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and disorderly behaviour on January 1 this year.

He was given 150 hours community service and ordered to pay the injured party £200 compensation.

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The court heard that at 2.20am on New Year’s Day the injured party was at McDonald’s in Meadow Lane, Portadown.

She was hit on the head with a bottle thrown by the defendant. Her head began bleeding quite heavily and she had to go to hospital to have the cut cleaned.

Later she received several Facebook messages from Hall apologising. He had no recollection of what happened but had been talking to friends who said he had thrown the bottle.

A barrister representing the defendant said Hall was shocked and mortified at what had happened. He was friendly with this girl.

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He added that his client had been out with his girlfriend and had taken far too much drink. He had gone to McDonald’s and got into a ruckus in the queue where he had taken a beer bottle and thrown it at a crowd.

The barrister handed in copies of messages which were sent on Facebook.

District Judge, Mr Peter King, said that to be very fair the injured party’s responses gave some flavour of what happened.

The case had been adjourned from a previous court so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

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The barrister suggested that probation may help the defendant.

Judge King said it was a ‘stupid act’ on the part of Hall and the victim suffered from shock and a minor laceration but it could have been a more significant injury.

He said the offence passed the custody threshold but as a direct alternative to that he would impose community service.