A north-east man ended a lifelong friendship with three brothers by hitting one of them over the head with a glass bottle.
Steven Mclean was in his home drinking with Patrick and Jack McGuire in the early hours of the morning when his mother asked them to quieten down.
Feeling his pals had disrespected her, Mclean confronted them and then smashed a bottle over Jack’s head.
His mother called an ambulance and the police and the injured man, who needed six stitches to a three-centimetre cut, was taken to hospital.
Mclean admitted to the attack, which took place on April 22 this year in his home in Cairnwell Drive, in an appearance at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.
The court heard of the extent to the injuries he caused.
Fiscal depute Cheryl Clark said: “The ambulance took Jack to ARI.
“He had a three centimetre laceration.
“He received six stitches, it had the possibility to leave a scar.
“The accused was detained in custody while officers waited to see the outcome of the injury.”
Representing Mclean, defence agent Tony Burgess revealed how close his client had been with the brothers.
He said: “They were lifelong friends, the third brother Nicholas was living with them at the time, and Patrick had lived with them in the past.
“They have not spoken since.”
He added: “My client accepted when I explained it to him that there was no defence of self-defence.
“Once he understood this he pleaded guilty at the earliest possible opportunity.
“I suspect he is someone who will not darken the court rooms again.”
Imposing a sentence, Sheriff Christine McCrossan said: “Hitting someone over the head with a bottle is something the court must take seriously.
“You appear before use as a first time offender and this is taken into account.”
The 20-year-old was fined £350.