A young Milford man head-butted a former schoolfriend twice leaving him with serious injuries.
Dylan McBride-Buckley was left with a fractured eye-socket and suspected broken nose after being set upon outside The Lagoon in Termon on November 7th, 2015.
His attacker, Jason Scullion, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court where he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr McBride Buckley.
When Scullion, 19, was arrested, he told Gardai he had a good bit of vodka in him on the night.
He said he remembered giving the victim a “wee push” and then head-butting him before jumping in a friend’s car and leaving the scene.
The victim suffered a number of injuries and was now living in Dublin but had been working in America.
Garda Sophia Esaul, formerly of Milford Garda Station, told the court that the victim was still in fear of coming back to Donegal.
Scullion was accompanied into court by a number of family members who were there to support him.
Barrister Fiona Crawford said Scullion had an issue with alcohol and anger management which he was addressing.
He had an appointment to start a residential care course with the White Oaks Rehabilitation Centre in Muff, she added.
She said the men had met and had shaken hands on the issue.
Judge Martin Nolan said that because Scullion was trying to address his alcohol and anger issues, that he had no previous convictions and that he had family support, he was not sending him to jail.
He did impose a sentence of three years in jail but suspended it for three years.
“This was a serious assault which left the victim with serious pain and suffering. What he did was extremely dangerous,” said Judge Nolan.
He also ordered that Scullion pay his victim €6,000 within the next 18 months and also be of good behaviour for the next three years.