KEY POINTS:
A teenager who lost an eye in a central Christchurch bottling was in court to see his 18-year-old attacker plead guilty to a charge of intentionally maiming him.
Brent Charles Lamb admitted smashing the bottle in the other youth's face during an angry early morning exchange in Oxford Terrace.
Lamb had quarrelled with his girlfriend while they drank at a city bar earlier in the night.
He pleaded guilty to a charge of maiming the other youth with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
He had admitted to police that he had intended to hurt the victim, "but not so that he lost an eye".
Judge Robert Murfitt remanded Lamb on bail for sentence on November 28. He ordered a reparation report, and a pre-sentence report with options for community and home detention.
Defence counsel Allister Davis said he was trying to arrange for a restorative justice meeting to be held before the sentencing.
Both youths had been in the central city with friends on the evening of July 19.
Lamb argued with his girlfriend who left the Holy Grail hotel while he continued drinking inside. He was carrying a bottle of bourbon when he later left the bar to find his girlfriend.
At 2am, the victim and a friend were walking home. They noticed Lamb and the girlfriend sitting talking and suggested they should move because the cleaner was about to begin work in that area. The friend worked at that bar.
This led to an argument. "Abuse was hurled between both parties," the police said.
After the victim and his friend walked off, Lamb texted friends outside the Holy Grail and they arrived and confronted the other pair in Oxford Terrace.
The argument continued there with the two youths standing 0.5m apart, continuing to shout abuse at each other.
"While holding the bottle containing bourbon in front of his stomach, Lamb suddenly brought the bottle up and used it to strike the victim once in the head and face."
The bottle shattered causing a wound that bled profusely. Glass fragments forced into the eye caused significant pain, and the eye had to be surgically removed.
Lamb was found eight days later. He said he was angry before the victim had spoken to him. He said the victim's actions made him even more angry and he wanted him to apologise.
- NZPA
