Schoolboy who scarred youth with in bottle attack walks free

A 14-year-old schoolboy who left a youth scarred for life in a broken bottle attack in a Midlothian town escaped a custodial sentence today.

A judge deferred sentence on the teenager for seven months to be of good behaviour but warned the final decision over what to do with him had still to be made.

Lord Malcolm told the attacker: "The aim is to give you the chance to show the court and others that you are able to behave in an appropriate and acceptable way."

The teenager, who is now aged 15 but cannot be identified for legal reasons, was originally charged attempting to murder his victim.

But the Crown earlier accepted his plea of guilty to assaulting Christopher Langlands to his severe injury, permanent disfigurement and to the danger of life.

He smashed a bottle against a lamp post and struck his 18-year-old victim with it on the neck before hitting him on the arms, chest and head with the weapon in the attack at Lingerwood Road, Newtongrange, on October 26 last year.

Lord Malcolm told the teenager at the High Court in Edinburgh: "You have pled guilty to a serious offence which could have had devastating consequences for your victim."

"Only good fortune prevented even more serious injury to your victim," he added.

"There are many reasons to consider that a custodial sentence should be imposed upon you today," said the judge.

"For many years you have displayed violent, and other unacceptable, behaviour linked in part to excessive consumption of alcohol.

"Once again excessive alcohol consumption was involved and it is clearly important you abstain from alcohol in future," said the judge.

But Lord Malcolm said there had also been "a marked improvement" in the teenager's behaviour with several organisations now working with him.

"I am prepared to give you a chance to show you can sustain the current improvement in your lifestyle, attitude and behaviour and also allow all the people and agencies trying to help you to continue their work," he said.

On the evening of the assault witnesses saw the teenager, his victim and another youth walking up the road with a case of beer. The schoolboy was put in a headlock by Mr Langlands but managed to struggle free before smashing the bottle he had in his hand and launching the attack.

The victim was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and sutures were used to close most of his injuries but he required reconstructive surgery on his left wrist.

The attacker later told police he had been drinking and then had been "toy fighting" with Mr Langlands. But he claimed the other youth took it "too far". The schoolboy said he was "raging" and "went into a world of his own".

Advocate depute Adrian Cottam said the victim was left with scars, including one to the right side of his neck "which he states is a reminder of what happened and looks unsightly".

Defence solicitor advocate Jim Keegan said of the schoolboy: "He has had a substantial fright given everything that has happened."

He told the court that alternatives to custody were available and added: "If he were in custody he would be subject to the wrong influences."