A Co Antrim man who stabbed his victim in the face leaving him with permanent scarring was today (Friday) handed a 15 month sentence.
Judge Paul Ramsey KC told Craig Wright that he will serve half his sentence in custody and the remainder on supervised licence on his release from custody.
Wright, 32 and of Green Walk, Newtownabbey, had previously pleaded guilty to charges of wounding and criminal damage.
Belfast Crown Court heard Wright and his victim were drinking at a house in Shore Crescent, North Belfast with a number of people on Saturday, October 6, 2018 where an assault took place.
Prosecution lawyer David Russell said police attended the scene and spoke to the complainant who said they were drinking and he was assaulted by the defendant with some type of weapon.
Officers observed that the victim had a “laceration to his face” and there was blood on his jeans and T-shirt.
“The victim said that he had only met the defendant twice before and he had accused him of stealing his phone.”
The prosecution lawyer said the victim sustained a “nasty injury’’ and needed ten stitches to the wound which was on a “prominent position on his face and there is going to be a permanent visible wound”.
He added that Wright had a relevant criminal record with convictions for grievous bodily harm with intent, possessing an offensive weapon, assaults on police, common assault and criminal damage.
“We can’t say beyond a reasonable doubt that a knife was used. But clearly some object was used as a weapon and there was excessive use of force by the defendant in his actions.”
Defence lawyer Luke Curran told the court: “It appears that when faced with a group of people against him he has picked up something from the table in front of him and swiped out in the midst of an assault against him and used excessive self defence.”
He said the defendant had “suffered trauma at a young age”, had witnessed domestic violence at home and had mental health problems along with substance misuse issues.
The lawyer added that by his guilty plea, Wright was expressing his remorse for his behaviour.
Jailing Wright, Judge Ramsey said the injury the victim sustained has left him with “prominent and permanent facial scarring”.
He added that Wright expressed his regrets to the Probation Service telling a pre-sentence report author: “Sorry, I went too far.”
Wright was also assessed as a high likelihood of reoffending but did not pose a danger to the public in the future.
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