A man had petrol thrown in his face by a gang who turned up at his Wishaw flat looking for drugs.
The victim was temporarily blinded by the liquid but was spared further injury when he persuaded the thugs that he wasn’t the person they were after.
William McAslan, 19, of Bridgeton, Glasgow, appeared at Hamilton Sheriff Court. He admitted that, while acting with unknown accomplices, he forced entry to the flat and assaulted the victim with intent to rob him.
The incident happened in Overtown Road on 12 May last year. McAslan was on bail for another matter at the time.
Aga Mathieson, prosecuting, told the court: “The complainer, who is aged 20, saw four individuals outside his flat about 11pm.
“They pushed the door open and removed it from its hinges.
“The man was seized and the accused McAslan threw a liquid into his eyes. The complainer could smell petrol or diesel.
“The intruders were shouting ‘Where is the green? Where is the green?’.
“The complainer was trying to explain he was not the person they appeared to have an issue with.
“The four kept demanding cannabis but when it transpired the complainer was not the right person they left.
“The victim could not see for a while. His eyes were red and he was taken to hospital. His eyes were washed and his visibility returned to normal.”
Sentence on first offender McAslan was deferred until next month for background reports and an electronic tagging assessment.
Sheriff Michael Higgins told him: “This is a serious matter. It was no doubt a very alarming experience for the complainer.”
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