A street magician smashed a man over the head with a glass bottle after trying to show him a card trick.
Matthew Walsh, who performs magic in Edinburgh’s city centre, left the victim with cuts and bruises after the brutal attack.
The city’s sheriff court heard on Tuesday how Walsh, 35, “accidentally” picked up the victim’s bag thinking it was his own, sparking an argument.
Walsh, who pled guilty to other offences including theft, was ordered to complete a drug testing and treatment order (DTTO).
Fiscal depute Ross Price said the accused approached Raymond King, 58, in Bristo Square on the grounds of the University of Edinburgh.
Mr Price said Walsh tried to engage Raymond in a card trick before “some flavour of argument” began.
The court heard Walsh got hold of a green glass bottle and struck Raymond over the head with it.
The prosecutor said Raymond suffered a laceration at his right eyebrow requiring butterfly stitches, as well as a cut and bruising to his right cheek.
Walsh pled guilty to assaulting Raymond on September 29 last year by struggling with him and repeatedly hitting him with a glass bottle to his injury.
He also admitted stealing alcohol from a Tesco in the city’s Princes Street on May 10 and assaulting two men, John Grieve and Rhys Thomas.
He further admitted an assault on Scott Ongley who was working at Tesco Express in Brunswick Place in the city’s Leith area last September 8.
Defence agent Andrew Docherty said his client performed magic tricks in the city centre as “one of his means of income”.
Mr Docherty said Walsh had picked up Raymond’s bag during their encounter “thinking it was his own” and that led to an altercation.
The solicitor said Walsh’s “main difficulty” was with drugs.
Sheriff Peter McCormack told Walsh, who lives in Salvation Army accommodation, that he was “within a wafer of custody” over the bottle attack.
The sheriff imposed an 18-month DTTO on Walsh and warned him he faced jail if he failed to comply with its terms.
