A man who smashed a beer bottle over a stranger's head because he was dancing with a woman he knew during a millennium New Year's Eve party will find out June 5 if he's going to jail or not.
Jessy Ritch, 27, pleaded guilty to assault causing bodily harm Friday.
Court heard Ritch and his male victim were both at Mingles bar on New Year's Eve 2000. Ritch was leaving the washroom when he noticed a young man was dancing with a young woman he knew.
When the young man extended his hand to shake Ritch's hand, he was hit over the head by a beer bottle, according to several witnesses.
The victim told police he thought he'd been punched in the head as he stumbled outside and realized he was bleeding badly. Other witnesses confirmed he had been hit over the head by a beer bottle, said assistant Crown attorney Marc Huneault.
The force of the beer bottle being broken over the victim's head resulted in him being rushed to hospital, where he received 10 stitches over one eye lid and 12 stitches for another cut to his head.
The victim still suffers from vision problems on occasion and has a small scar over the eye lid, said Huneault.
Defence counsel Robert Beckett asked that a pre-sentence report be prepared to assist the court in assessing a proper sentence in this matter.
While his client has a fairly substantial criminal record, there has been progress in Ritch's life since this incident 27 months ago, and it would be in the best interests of his client that a pre-sentence report be before the court before sentence is imposed, said Beckett.
Justice William Fitzgerald agreed and ordered the pre-sentence report be prepared before he sentences Ritch.
