A DJ who was working in a Jesmond bar glassed a party-goer on St Patrick's Day after he closed his laptop and put a stop to the music.
Aiden Copland was working as a DJ and using a laptop to play music in the Holy Hobo bar shortly before the first Covid lockdown came into force on March 17 2020. But at some point during the night, a student closed Copland's laptop, abruptly cutting out the music in the busy bar.
It was then that Copland glassed the student to the head, causing a gash to his temple which required hospital treatment and surgery. The glassing left the student with significant injuries and is now permanently scarred.
On Friday, Copland, of Nedderton Village, Bedlington, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court to be sentenced for unlawful wounding. The 33-year-old had been found guilty of the offence following a trial.
The court heard that Copland was working his third shift of the night as a DJ at Holy Hobo on St Patrick's Day and was using a laptop to play music. Copland was said to be concerned with the number of people around the DJ booth and had at one point put his laptop away and instead played music via a USB stick.
But as the night progressed, Copland returned to using his laptop when a student and his friends - who were drinking - were standing around the DJ booth area in the early hours of March 18.
Jane Foley, prosecuting, said: "The complainant was stood at the DJ booth with his girlfriend and others when he closed the laptop that was responsible for playing music in the bar. The defendant, in anger at what he did, lashed out and caused severe injury by smashing a glass to the temple of the victim.
"That action caused significant and serious injury to the victim. So significant was the injury, it caused major arterial bleeding that required surgery."
The court heard that the victim now has a scar on his head where he was hit but it is not as prominent as it once was and he suffered no ongoing psychological issues. Copland had a previous conviction for drink driving and had received a caution for being drunk and disorderly.
Ben Temple, defending, said the case was now of "some age" due to delays brought on by the Covid pandemic and said he has shown "real remorse". He said: "He is very conscious of what has happened, it's had an effect on him."
Mr Temple added that Copland has committed no further offences since the glassing and said the incident caused him to suffer from anxiety and depression. He said that he still works as a DJ and earns up to £1,200 a week.
Sentencing Copland, Judge Stephen Earl handed him a 15-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and ordered him to complete 150 hours unpaid work. He will have to carry out up to 30 rehabilitation days and pay £5,000 compensation to the victim.
Read next:
- Gateshead man raped sleeping woman after cocaine and booze fuelled party
- Banned Gateshead driver knocked down dad and five-year-old son in stolen Audi and fled scene
- Knife-wielding South Shields bully ripped out ex-girlfriend's hair during drunken attack
- Former County Durham pharmacist who stabbed brother to death is jailed for 19 years
- Thug launched unprovoked attack on three men in Hexham town centre and punched one unconscious
