An 18-year-old was today jailed for two years nine months for a central Christchurch bottling and ordered to pay $4000 reparation to the teenager who lost an eye in the attack.
Brent Charles Lamb, of Avondale, has admitted maiming the other youth with intent to cause grievous bodily
harm, Christchurch's Court News website reported.
The 19-year-old victim read his victim impact statement to Christchurch District Court. He said that as well as losing an eye, he had facial scars that brought attention to his face.
He spent one week in hospital and said the pain and extreme discomfort would never leave him. The loss of his right eye limits most activities and makes driving difficult.
He had been doing an outdoor recreation and adventure degree but had had to spend a long time away from papers and exams, meaning he would have to do more papers next year.
He was not confident enough to go back to the bar work he had been doing, and was unable to do the white-water rafting job he had.
He said he was attending counselling to learn to deal with his altered face.
"My world has been turned upside down," he said.
Judge Gary MacAskill said the July 19 confrontation resulted in a short-armed punch with a bottle with the intention to hurt the victim.
"You confronted the victim when you should have stayed away," he told Lamb.
He said Lamb was otherwise a person of good character who was motivated to change, and had a low risk of re-offending.
"It was a momentary insanity fuelled by alcohol," he said.
In the Oxford Terrace incident, Lamb suddenly brought the bottle up and used it to strike the youth once in the face.
The bottle shattered and glass fragments went into the eye which had to be surgically removed.
Lamb told police he had argued with his girlfriend before the incident. When the other youth - who he did not know - spoke to him in the street, he was angry and wanted the youth to apologise.
- NZPA
