A drunken 16-year-old smashed a glass bottle over a woman’s head in broad daylight on Union Street.
The teen, now 17 and who cannot be named for legal reasons, lashed out following a row over drugs.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court was told the wound caused blood to spurt from her head and required 26 stitches.
The pair, who were not previously known to each other, got talking on the pedestrianised section of Union Street close to Union Terrace at around 1pm.
Fiscal depute Christy Ward said the argument was sparked when the teenager gave her money for cannabis but did not receive the drugs he’d expected – or get a refund.
She said: “The accused struck the complainer on the head with a glass bottle. The bottle smashed.
“Her head was bleeding heavily. The blood was spurting and it was bright red arterial blood. She fell to the ground.
“The complainer sustained lacerations to her face.”
Shocked shoppers came to her aid and an ambulance was called, she added.
Describing the wounds – which will leave permanent scars – the fiscal depute said: “The complainer sustained multiple incised wounds to the right side of her face including a 3cm long vertical wound to the right temple. This wound was actively bleeding. The laceration penetrated through her forehead muscle. The wound was closed with six sutures.
“A further seven wounds were explored and closed.
“In total, 26 sutures were inserted.”
‘Detention is a distinct possibility’
The teenager admitted assaulting the woman to her severe injury and permanent disfigurement on July 31 2020.
Defence agent Gail Goodfellow asked for sentencing to be adjourned for reports and reserved mitigation until that hearing.
Sheriff William Summers ordered a social work report and restriction or liberty order assessment to be prepared, and deferred sentence until July.
But he warned the teen: “The seriousness of this charge will have been explained to you.
“You need to recognise that detention is a distinct possibility given the gravity of the charge you’re facing.”