A thug who left a man scarred for life after slashing him at a popular theme park has been ordered to pay his victim £1,000. Connor Orr, 32, attacked Liam Brannigan with a piece of glass in a row over a dropped drink at M&Ds near Motherwell, Lanarkshire.
Brannigan and his friends had been playing pool when trouble erupted in March last year. Security staff had to intervene to split up the two groups of friends after a drink had been dropped.
But Orr, who had been on a work night out, lunged towards Brannigan and struck him twice on his head with the piece of broken glass. Brannigan was rushed to hospital where he needed nine stitches to close a wound behind his ear.
Warehouse worker Orr, of Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court and admitted assault to severe injury and permanent disfigurement. Sheriff Liam Murphy told the first offender he was being spared jail on a ‘fine margin’ and Orr was instead told to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work.
He will also be under supervision for 18 months. Chris Devine, defending, said: “This was a very unfortunate set of circumstances where he was out with his friends from work to play a few games of pool.
“There was another large group at a neighbouring pool table drinking alcohol and it seems there was a minor incident involving a dropped glass. At one point Mr Orr tried to de-escalate the incident but matters did escalate and he struck out.
“None of this was planned and it is a matter which he deeply regrets and he is genuinely remorseful.”
Sheriff Murphy said: “You have pled guilty to assault with a weapon which left permanent injury and it is clear from his victim impact statement the impact that this has had on your victim. I have taken into account the remorse and the regret that you have shown.
“I have to consider a custodial sentence given the nature of the charge and I can only impose that if there is no alternative which, on a fine margin, there is in this case and I’m going to step back from imposing a custodial sentence.”
Orr was warned he could be jailed if he failed to pay Brannigan his compensation or did not carry out the unpaid work.
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