Man who threw bottle in woman's face told to "get a grip"

Sunday 15 October 2023

A 19-year-old who threw a bottle at a woman's face, injuring both her eyes, has been sentenced to 90 hours of community service and put on probation for a year.

But Ryan James Le Monnier was told that if it was not for his age and his guilty plea he could have gone to prison.

The Magistrate’s Court was shown CCTV footage of the incident, outside the Grand Hotel on the evening of 20 May, in which Le Monnier is seen throwing the bottle at the woman's face.

The court also saw photos of the victim's face, showing abrasions and bruising to each eye. There was no long-term damage to her eyesight.

Le Monnier pleaded guilty to grave and criminal assault, and Advocate Allana Binnie, defending, said of the attack: “It was completely unplanned.

"It was spur of the moment. He accepts that he was intoxicated at the time and it was completely inappropriate.”

She said the victim had made hurtful comments to Le Monnier before the incident, but added: “He is disgusted and ashamed of his behaviour.

"He needs to address his alcohol usage.”

Assistant Magistrate Sarah Fitz told Le Monnier: “If the bottle had broken it could have caused quite serious injuries.”

She said she was not sending the teenager to jail but warned him: “It really is time for you to get a grip on your life.

“The older you become, the more serious your offending would be and you could be going to prison.”

The Assistant Magistrate also barred Le Monnier from pubs and nightclubs for three months, and said: “I do hope this is the last time we see you in court.”