Royal Mile broken bottle attack earns man 5-year jail term

A MAN who was caught on camera carrying out a vicious attack with a broken bottle weeks after he was freed on bail was jailed for five years today.
High Court of Edinburgh. File picture: Ian GeorgesonHigh Court of Edinburgh. File picture: Ian Georgeson
High Court of Edinburgh. File picture: Ian Georgeson

Robert Scott lashed out with the savage weapon against his victim in an assault just off Edinburgh’s Royal Mile before claiming “he f---ing deserved it”.

Footage of the attack was shown to a judge after Scott admitted inflicting wounds on Alan Saunders.

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Judge Paul Arthurson QC told Scott at the High Court in Edinburgh: “The wounds you inflicted upon the complainer were nothing short of horrific.”

The judge said: “You deliberately broke a bottle in order to carry out your attack on your victim.”

He pointed out that the attack was a “significant escalation” in Scott’s offending, which included jail sentences for assault and possession of a knife.

The judge said that Scott, 41, was on four deferred sentences and a community payback order when he committed the offence.

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He told Scott that he would have faced a sentence of seven and a half years imprisonment, but for his guilty plea.

Scott, formerly of Craigour Green, Edinburgh, admitted attacking Mr Saunders, 33, to his severe injury and to the danger of life on November 10 last year by striking him on the neck with a broken bottle at the city’s Hunters Square.

He committed the offence after he was granted bail at the city’s sheriff court on October 15 over five different cases.

Advocate depute Peter McCormack said the square where the assault took place was a well known gathering place.

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He said Mr Saunders had earlier got into an argument and others had intervened to keep him and another man apart.

The prosecutor said: “The accused had possession of a bottle and went behind a bench to a large rubbish skip where he broke the bottle.”

Scott approached Mr Saunders and there were threatening gestures and words before he pulled the broken bottle from his pocket and struck the victim.

As Scott walked away a witness asked him if he had hit the victim and he replied: “Yeah and he f---ing deserved it.”

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Scott was later detained by police but refused to be interviewed.

Mr Saunders was taken to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he underwent exploratory surgery and 23 staples were inserted into wounds.

Mr McCormack said: “The injury was described as very serious and would have been life-threatening had it not been treated quickly.”

Defence solicitor advocate Iain Paterson said Scott “fully appreciated” that he would be sentenced to imprisonment.

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