Man scarred for life by wine glass smashed in face
BBCA man was "scarred for life" when an attacker smashed a wine glass in his face, a court has heard.
Darson Johnson, 26, could have blinded his victim when he struck him outside a party in Sunderland in August 2023, Newcastle Crown Court was told.
The victim, who was left with a deep, 4in-long (10cm) gash on his face, said he could not understand why he was attacked.
Johnson, Houghton-le-Spring, was jailed for one year and nine months, suspended for two years, after admitting unlawful wounding.
The court heard Johnson was standing on the doorstep of the house party waiting for the victim to arrive in the early hours of 20 August.
When the man arrived, Johnson smashed a wine glass straight into his face knocking the victim to the floor, Judge Gavin Doig said.
'Nasty and foolish'
The victim, who had large cuts to his face and was drenched in blood, was able to flag down passing police officers who took him to Sunderland Royal Hospital for treatment.
The man had a deep wound between his eyebrows, with a piece of glass embedded in the muscle below the skin, and another cut close to his eye.
He had been left with permanent scarring, the court heard.
In a statement read to the court, the man said he was still confused about why he had been attacked, adding: "I cannot believe I have been scarred for life.
"I could have been blinded."
Judge Doig said it was a "nasty" and "foolish" attack which had resulted in a serious injury.
But he said Johnson, who lost his job in a call centre in the aftermath of the assault, would be spared immediate imprisonment as he was of previous good character and there was a "realistic prospect of rehabilitation".
Johnson, of Queen Elizabeth Drive, Easington Lane, was also ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid work.